KLM Cityhopper the first to operate the Embraer E195-E2 to London City

London City Airport (LCY) can expect some up-gauging from airlines. KLM Cityhopper will be the first airline to operate the Embraer E195-E2 in the airport, now that EASA has certified the type for steep decent operations into the Docklands airport. This makes the E195-E2 the biggest aircraft type that can operate in LCY without further restrictions.

Embraer announced on Friday that it has received EASA certification for the Steep Approach procedure. To minimize the noise impact, aircraft must follow a 5.5-degree glideslope approach compared to the usual 3 to 3.5 degrees. Originally, LCY used a 7.5 degrees glideslope, but this has been reduced earlier as it “allows greater flexibility and may lead to more CAT operators requesting clearance for their airplane (s) at this aerodrome,” the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) says in a document. LCY has a short runway of just 1.508 meters.