Helvetic Airways, on behalf of Swiss International Air Lines (SWISS), landed the first commercial flight of the Embraer E195-E2 at London City Airport (LCY) on March 26, 2025, making it the largest and most sustainable aircraft flying to and from the airport.

The jet has a length of 41.5 metres, a total of 134 seats, and the lowest fuel consumption per seat of all aircraft operating at London City, where 75% of flights are on Embraer planes.

It also produces 30% lower CO2 emissions per seat and has a 63% smaller noise footprint compared to previous generations of aircraft.

In 2021, under its long-term wet lease agreement with SWISS, Helvetic Airways became the first commercial airline in the world to land Embraer E190-E2 at LCY, and now, the Embraer E195-E2 has become the first aircraft of its type to touch down at the airport as part of regular schedules.

Tobias Pogorevc, chief executive of Helvetic Airways, said of the milestone: “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.”

Embraer has also developed the Embraer Enhanced Take-off System (E2TS), the first automatic take-off system in the world for aircraft, according to Marie-Louise Phillipe, senior vice president of sales and marketing and head of region Europe and Central Asia for Embraer commercial aviation.

“When certified, E2TS will increase the range of the E195-E2, specifically from LCY, from 3,200km to 4,000km. Bringing new destinations such as Istanbul, Gran Canaria, Casablanca, Athens, and Cairo within range of London City for the first time,” said Phillipe.

Chief executive of London City Airport, Alison Fitzgerald, also commented: “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.”