London City Airport welcomes 'low-noise' aircraft in commercial first
The Helvetic Embraer E190-E2 lands at London City Airport. - Credit: Andrew Baker
The first commercial flight of an aircraft hailed for being quiet and low on emissions has arrived at London City Airport.
An Embraer E190-E2 landed at the hub in the Royal Docks on Thursday, September 2.
The Helvetic Airways aircraft flew from Zurich to London in one hour 20 minutes, according to London City.
Flight LX 456, operated by Helvetic Airways for partner company Swiss International Air Lines, was welcomed with a water salute from the airport’s fire service.
London City's chief operating officer, Alison FitzGerald, hailed the arrival as "a significant milestone".
"It demonstrates how we are collaborating with manufacturers and airlines to introduce more low-emission, low-noise aircraft to our airport, as well as re-establishing a vital business connection which we believe will go from strength to strength as the UK government begins to further reduce barriers to travel," she said.
Ms Fitzgerald added the airport aims to be one of the most sustainable of its size in Europe and more of the aircraft and airlines would be welcome as the industry recovers from the impact of the pandemic.
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Cesar Perreira, Embraer’s vice president of sales and marketing, hailed the aircraft's reduction of almost 20 per cent in fuel consumption and a noise footprint at take-off that is 63pc smaller than the previous generation.
"The E190-E2 delivers not only significant reductions in emissions, but also a much quieter experience for residents," he said.
However, John Stewart, who chairs HACAN East - which gives a voice to residents under the Heathrow flight paths - said: "The 63pc reduction in take-off noise only applies to people living within about a couple of miles of the airport. The noise benefits for other residents are much smaller."
Embraer did not respond to a request for comment, but Tobias Pogorevc, chief executive at Helvetic Airways, said: "With this world premiere, we are proud to be able to offer a product of the highest level in terms of comfort, quiet and sustainability."
In total, Embraer's aircrafts account for nearly 90pc of all movements at London City.
The E190-E2 almost doubles the available range from the airport to more than 4,000 kilometres.
