The largest jet to serve London City airport has been operated by Helvetic Airways on behalf of Swiss International Air Lines – opening up the potential for longer range flights.
The Swiss regional airline’s Embraer E195-E2 was the first aircraft of the type to touch down at the Docklands airport as part of a regular scheduled service.
The E195-E2, with a length of 41.5 metres and a total of 134 seats, is now the largest aircraft flying from London City and also claims to have the lowest fuel consumption per seat of all aircraft operating at the airport.
The flight from Zurich was operated by Helvetic Airways on behalf of Swiss International Air Lines on a wet-lease basis.
Helvetic Airways became the world’s first airline to land a smaller Embraer E190-E2 in autumn 2021.
Embraer Commercial Aviation sales and marketing senior vice president and regional head Marie-Louise Philippe said: “London City, where 75% of flights are on Embraer aircraft, is a special place for us. It’s great to celebrate another milestone in the E2 story with our partners from Helvetic Airways and London City
“Offering 30% lower CO2 emissions per seat and a 63% smaller noise footprint compared to the previous generation aircraft, the E195-E2 is the largest, most efficient, and most sustainable aircraft certified for London City”
She added: “Embraer has developed the world’s first automatic takeoff system for aircraft called E2TS – Embraer Enhanced Takeoff System.
“When certified, E2TS will increase the range of the E195-E2, specifically from LCY, from 3200 km to 4000 km, bringing new destinations such as Istanbul, Gran Canaria, Casablanca, Athens and Cairo within range of London City for the first time.”
Airport chief executive Alison FitzGerald said: “We’re delighted to welcome the first commercial flight of the E195-E2 aircraft to London City, which demonstrates our commitment to working with our airlines and manufacturers to introduce cleaner, quieter, new generation aircraft to the airport.
“The E195-E2 opens up a range of new and exciting destinations for our passengers, and by using quieter and cleaner aircraft this enables us to grow and meet our passenger cap without increasing the number of flight movements.”
Airline chief executive Tobias Pogorevc said: “Due to its steep approach, London City airport places high demands on both the aircraft and the specially trained cockpit crews.
“Helvetic Airways has both, and we are proud to be the first airline to bring the larger E195-E2 to London City airport following its premiere with the Embraer E190-E2 in 2021.”