Zurich is open for business......

With the news that Switzerland has moved to the UK's Green List, what better time to see the return of Swiss Air Lines to London City Airport for four weekly flights to Zürich. 

Set alongside a stunning lake and framed by alpine mountains, Zürich is a seamless blend of the indoor and outdoor. Stroll around the Old Town, explore the Viadukt and then take a dip in a ‘badi’ or open-air swimming pool, as loved by locals.

For the best views, hop on a train and head towards the mountains, or for the high life of a different kind, take a stroll down Bahnhofstrasse, one of the world’s most expensive shopping streets.  Zürich also loves to party, with an exciting network of bars and clubs open into the small hours and beyond.

Yesterday evening, Thursday 2 September 2021, saw an important debut for city centre airport, as at 1749, an Embraer E190-E2 made its first commercial flight there, The Helvetic Airways aircraft, registered HB-AZG, flew from Zurich to London in 1 hour 20 minutes. Flight LX 456, operated by Helvetic Airways on behalf of its partner company Swiss International Air Lines, was welcomed by a water salute from London City Airport’s fire service. Onboard the sold-out flight were 110 passengers, including representatives of the international media, business travellers and those visiting friends and family.

London City Airport Chief Operating Officer Alison FitzGerald said: "Welcoming Swiss and Helvetic back, and with the newest LCY-capable aircraft, Embraer’s E190-E2, is a significant milestone for London City. 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. Our ambition is to be one of the most sustainable airports of our size in Europe, and it is my expectation that we will be welcoming more of these aircraft with more airlines as the industry recovers from COVID-19."

Helvetic Airways changes Embraer order

Helvetic order upgraded from E190-E2 to E195-E2 model

Helvetic Airways has signed a commitment with the Brazilian aircraft manufacturer Embraer to convert four of their remaining firm orders to the larger E195-E2 aircraft. The original order, for 12 E190-E2s with purchase rights for a further 12, and conversion rights to E195-E2, was announced in September 2018. Embraer has so far delivered five E190-E2s to Helvetic Airways, and all deliveries of the remaining seven aircraft, including the four E195-E2s, will be completed before the end of 2021, with the majority in the first half of 2021.

The remaining firm order for the seven aircraft to be delivered has a value of USD 480 million, based on current list prices. With all the purchase rights being exercised, the deal has a list price of USD 1.25 billion.

The first Embraer E190-E2 jet for Air Kiribati

           At the very end of last year Air Kiribati, the flag carrier of the Republic of Kiribati, received its first Embraer E190-E2 jet form an order of two aircraft with options on a further two.

“Aviation is critical for any island nation and Kiribati is no exception. Our Government has made the conscious decision to take into our hands the opportunity to unlock economic prosperity for our people and our nation through the purchase of these two aircraft,” said Hon. Willie Tokataake, Minister for Information, Communication, Transport and Tourism Development of the Kiribati Government. “The arrival of our first jet is the culmination of three years of vision, strategic thought, government focus, research, evaluation, hard work, commitment, partnership and a good measure of problem-solving.”

Embraer and Air Kiribati sign deal for 4 E190-E2 aircraft.

Embraer has announced the signing of a contract with the Government of Kiribati, in partnership with their national airline, Air Kiribati, for two firm orders for the E190-E2 E-Jets and two purchase rights for the same model. With all purchase rights being exercised, the contract has a value of USD 243 million, based on current list prices. The order will be included in Embraer's 2018 fourth-quarter backlog.

Scheduled for a 2019 delivery, the E190-E2 will enable the flag carrier for the Republic of Kiribati, located in the central Pacific, to fly longer domestic and international routes than it currently does with its turboprop fleet. Air Kiribati will be the launch operator for the E190-E2 in the Asia Pacific region (excluding China). This order comes after a three-week Asia Pacific tour of the 'Shark' livery E190-E2 in October, which included a stop in Tarawa, the capital of Kiribati. Spanning four time zones and comprised of more than 30 islands, Kiribati is the only country in the world to be in all four hemispheres.

First Embraer E190-E2 for Air Astana

                         The flag carrier of Kazakhstan, Air Astana welcomed its first Embraer E190-E2 jet at a special ceremony held today in Astana. "All of us at Air Astana are pleased to receive our first E190-E2, and we look forward to a smooth entry into service and a simple transition for our pilots. We know Embraer's E-Jets well, and have high expectations for their new generation aircraft in terms of economics, environmental impact, and levels of comfort and convenience for our customers," said Peter Foster, President of Air Astana.

Air Astana's first E190-E2 features a "snow leopard" livery, designed and hand painted by Embraer in the 'Profit Hunter' style. Air Astana's snow leopard joins the now famous Eagle, Tiger, and Shark E2s with the distinctive 'Profit Hunter' nose art. For Air Astana however, the paint scheme is designed to draw global attention to the threat of extinction faced by the wild cat. The snow leopard is an official symbol of Kazakhstan and is native to the country's southern mountain ranges.

Embraer delivers 15 commercial and 24 executive jets during the third quarter

During the third quarter of 2018 planemaker Embraer delivered 15 jets to the commercial aviation market and 24 business jets, being 17 light jets and 7 large jets. On September 30, Embraer's firm order backlog totalled USD13.6 billion.

Helvectic sign deal for 12 new Embraer E190-E2 aircraft.

Helvetic Airways has signed a contract with Embraer for 12 E190-E2 jets it was confirmed on Wednesday, although was previously disclosed during the Farnborough Air Show, in July.

Back at the air show, the two parties signed a letter of intent (LoI) but the deal has now been confirmed, which is said to be worth USD 730 million at list prices. The contract also includes purchase rights for a further 12 E190-E2, with conversion rights to the E195-E2, bringing the total potential order up to 24 E-Jets E2s. If all the purchase rights are exercised, the deal would have a list price of USD 1.5 billion.

The announcement was made by the two companies during the Zurich debut of the E190-E2, the world’s most efficient and quietest single-aisle aircraft, as part of its tour of Europe and the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS).

The first 12 E190-E2 aircraft will begin replacing Helvetic’s five Fokker 100s and seven E190s, starting in late 2019 and completing in autumn 2021. The purchase options for a further 12 aircraft (E190-E2 or E195-E2) will enable Helvetic Airways to grow according to market opportunities.

(Image rendering Embraer)

A lot of interest for Embraer at Farnborough

Tuesday saw a whole raft of orders and commitments came in for the Brazilian manufacturer, Embraer at this years Farnborough International Airshow.

Mauritania Airlines placed a firm order for two E175 jets. The aircraft will be configured with 76 seats in a comfortable dual-class layout with deliveries to take place in 2019. "The acquisition of the E175 is part of our fleet modernization, replacing old aircraft and complementing our young narrow-body aircraft", said Mr Mohamed Radhy Bennahi, CEO of Mauritania Airlines. "We are certain that with E175 we'll be able to offer an even better service to our customers, with greater comfort, adding more frequencies and new destinations."

Wataniya Airways signed the papers for 10 E195-E2 aircraft. the Kuwaiti airline also took purchase rights for a further 10 aircraft. The airline will configure the new aircraft in a comfortable layout of 118 seats, with 12 in business class and 106 in economy class and is the worldwide launch customer for Embraer's new staggered business class seating. "The E195-E2 will allow us to open non-served markets and increase frequencies, delivering better connectivity to the Kuwait market", said Rakan Al-Tuwaijri, CEO of Wataniya Airways. "We have chosen the staggered seats to differentiate ourselves from the competition, offering a superior product with extra legroom and better privacy for our customers."

London City Airport welcomed Embraer's E190-E2

Last week London City Airport played host to the latest aircrtaft from The Brazillian manufacturer,  Embraer, with its E190-E2. The aircraft landed for the first time at the airport in the city of London on a promotional visit on its way to Farnborough for the air show

The visit demonstrates the ability of the Embraer E190-E2 to operate the steep arrival and departure requirements dictated by London City Airports position.   “For Embraer, London City feels like home, wherever you look, our aircraft are there. So it’s a big moment for us to bring the newest generation Embraer jet to this important European hub. We know that passengers will love the new aircraft, still with no middle seats and featuring larger overhead bins, and Londoners will also appreciate the quietness of the aircraft and its low emissions.” said Arjan Meijer, Chief Commercial Officer, Embraer Commercial Aviation.

Richard Hill, Chief Commercial Officer at London City Airport, said: “to welcome the Embraer E2 to London City Airport for the first time is a crucial milestone towards certification and subsequent commercial operation at London’s most central airport. The first generation of E-Jets have been intrinsic to London City’s growth, so much so that up to three quarters of all passengers now land or depart on the aircraft. As we continue a £480m transformation, due for completion in 2022, the E2 has enormous potential for London City, with proven ability to operate with less noise, fewer emissions, and better fuel efficiency to open up new destinations, delivering significant benefits for our airline customers, passengers and local neighbours.”

Norway's Widerøe Receives World's First Embraer E190-E2 Jet

Embraer and Widerøe, Scandinavia's largest regional airline, celebrated the delivery of the manufacturer's first production E190-E2 today at a ceremony at Embraer's facility in São José dos Campos. The Norwegian airline will start flying the new aircraft on domestic routes later this month.

 Looking great in the Wideroe livery.

The E190-E2 is the first of three new-generation aircraft seating from 80 to 146-seat E-Jets to be introduced through 2021. Widerøe's E190-E2 is configured with 114 seats in a single-class layout. Widerøe has contracted for up to 15 E-Jets E2s - three firm E190-E2 orders and purchase rights for an additional 12 E2s. The total value of the order is approximately USD 873 million if all rights are exercised.

"The E190-E2 is an impressive aircraft. It is the ideal airplane for Widerøe as we introduce jets for the first time in the company's 84-year history," said Stein Nilsen, Chief Executive Officer of Widerøe. "I am convinced our passengers are going to love the cabin, our operations people are going to embrace the new technology, while our financial collaborators will appreciate the economics the aircraft permits. I believe everyone is going to celebrate with, as the launch customer, the fact that we are the first airline to fly the world's most environmentally-friendly airplane. With the lowest noise and emissions among aircraft in its category."

Pratt & Whitney Celebrates Embraer E190-E2 Aircraft Certification from ANAC, FAA and EASA

On Monday the engine maker Pratt & Whitney and Brazillian aircraft company Embraer are celebrating a significant milestone as the E190-E2 aircraft receives Type Certification from three regulatory agencies, the Agência Nacional de Aviação Civil (ANAC) in Brazil, the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and from the European Aviation Safety Administration (EASA).  The aircraft is exclusively powered by the Pratt & Whitney Geared Turbofan™ (GTF) engine and is scheduled to enter into service with Widerøe Airlines in April.

Embraer E190-E2 Granted Certification by ANAC, FAA and EASA

In a ceremony held at the Company's facilities in São José dos Campos earlier this week, Embraer received Type Certificate for the E190-E2, the first member of the E-Jets E2 family of commercial aircraft, from the Brazilian Civil Aviation Agency (Agência Nacional de Aviação Civil – ANAC), the FAA (Federal Aviation Administration) and EASA (European Aviation Safety Agency). It is the first time that an aircraft program with the level of complexity of the E2 receives a type certificate from three major worldwide certification authorities simultaneously.

Embraer & Wideroe Deal

Embraer and Widerøe, the largest regional airline in Scandinavia and launch customer for the E190-E2, have reached an agreement on a Flight Hour Pool Program for the airline's soon to be inducted E2 fleet. This is the first contract of its kind signed for the E-Jets E2, Embraer´s second generation of the E-Jets family of commercial aircraft.

The agreement will cover more than 300 key rotatable components, for the airline's E190-E2 fleet. Widerøe will receive its first E190-E2 in April of 2018, beginning revenue service with the aircraft shortly afterwards.

"This contract reminds me of the first Pool we signed for the E-Jets current generation, 14 years ago. It was for just one aircraft and proved to be the first of many others," said Johann Bordais, President & CEO, Embraer Service & Support. "Widerøe is once again showing their confidence in Embraer, its products and level of support; something that embeds our responsibility and commitment with the airline even deeper."

The First E190-E2 Goes to Wideroe in April 2018

The Brazillian aircraft manufacturer Embraer confirmed yesterday that the very first E190-E2 will be delivered to Widerøe, the aircraft’s launch operator in April of next year. 

The announcement was made at a special press briefing in Athens, Greece, during the annual general meeting of the European Regional Airline Association (ERA – www.eraa.org). Widerøe, the largest regional airline in Scandinavia, will begin revenue service with the aircraft shortly afterwards.

“Since the program was launched, the first half of 2018 has been our target, and now we are making good on this commitment. This was only possible thanks to the excellence of our engineering process due to our unique experience in certifying 12 new aircraft in the last 17 years,” said John Slattery, President & CEO, Embraer Commercial Aviation. “From the beginning, the E2 program has been, and remains on time, on budget and better than the initial specification. We’ll deliver to the market a mature and robust aircraft.”

Air Astana Goes For E190 Replacement

Air Astana have announced they will be welcoming five Embraer E190-E2s on long-term lease deals from AerCap. Deliveres of the second-generation E-Jets will start in the autumn of next year and will replace the airline's existing E190 fleet.