On March 26th, Helvetic Airways’ Embraer E195-E2 was the first aircraft of this type to touch down on the runway of London City Airport as part of a regular scheduled flight. With a length of 41.5 metres and 134 seats, the E195-E2 is now the largest aircraft flying from London City Airport.
Follow Aeronews on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, TikTok and Bluesky
Helvetic Airways made history at London City Airport for the second time in three and a half years, after the Swiss regional airline became the world’s first commercial airline to land an Embraer E190-E2 at London City Airport in autumn 2021. The flight, which was operated by Helvetic Airways on behalf of Swiss International Air Lines on a wet-lease basis, took off from Zurich at 11.30 AM and landed at London City Airport shortly after midday.
“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. This makes us the only wet-lease operator in the world to land at London City with three different Embraer aircraft, allowing us to offer our wet-lease customers the greatest possible flexibility”, said Tobias Pogorevc, CEO of Helvetic Airways, in London during the celebrations for the maiden flight.
Alison FitzGerald, CEO of London City Airport, 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.
Marie-Louise Philippe, Senior Vice President Sales & Marketing, Head of Region Europe and Central Asia, Embraer Commercial Aviation, stated: “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 and within range of London City for the first time.”
