KLM Cityhopper Flies 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. Bombardier received clearance for the Steep Approach procedure for the CS100 (now Airbus A220-100) in 2017, allowing SWISS to operate the type at the airport near London’s business district. In 2018, Embraer demonstrated the E190-E2, which was cleared in September 2021. In July 2022, the E195-E2 demonstrated its capabilities at London City Airport a day after the Farnborough Airshow. Apparently, one flight was sufficient for EASA, but it took the regulators until very recently to clear the type for operations. The CAA says that “training approaches should be practiced on PAPIS set to at least 5.5 degrees. An initial visit to that airport would involve an ILS approach, go-around, and landing in weather conditions not less than 3 km visibility and 1500 ft cloud base. This would enable the pilot to become familiar with the local terrain.” LCY is not the only airport in Europe that requires a steep approach, and so does Lugano in Switzerland. LCY eagerly anticipates operations “The certification of the E195-E2 signifies an exciting new era for London City Airport. With its capacity to handle more passengers while being significantly quieter and more fuel efficient is a testament to our commitment to working closely with aircraft manufacturers to certify cleaner, quieter, new-generation aircraft and we eagerly anticipate our airlines starting commercial operations of the E195-E2 at London City Airport," says Alison Fitzgerald, Chief Operating Officer of LCY. In reply to a question from AirInsight, KLM Cityhopper confirms that it will introduce the E195-E2 to London City. “Yes, we will operate the type, as the first airline, on our regular flights to LCY from next year,” a spokesperson says. Helvetic will likely follow suit. That is if the E195-E2 is available to them for the London route. The airline might need to operate the aircraft on other routes on behalf of SWISS, which is suffering from durability issues of its Pratt & Whitney Geared Turbofan-powered Airbus A220s and A3210neo family aircraft. Helvetic already operates the E190-E2 to London City. Pilots operating the aircraft into LCY will need to comply with more CAA regulations. “An operator’s first flight into LCY with that aircraft should have a TRI qualified and current in SAL operations plus the assigned inspector on board to validate the training and hence clear the company for subsequent flights. LCY should be categorized as "C" (or equivalent) in the OperationsManual.”

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