Showing posts with label London City. Show all posts
Showing posts with label London City. Show all posts

27 September, 2023

Vilnius - London City Flights to Continue

Lithuania Launches New Route Development Model



Following the successful negotiations between the Ministry of Transport and Communications, Lithuanian Airports and the airlines, Lithuanian Airports have signed an investment agreement with LOT Polish Airlines, which will operate direct regular flights between Vilnius (VNO) and London City (LCY) airports. The Contract will be implemented under a new route development model that will ensure the continuity of flights to the strategically important financial hub of London, which has been served for the last few years. 

"London is a pilot destination for the new flight development model and we wanted to test how the model works. This convenient and familiar destination to the centre of London is essential to meet the needs of Lithuanians living in London, businesses and visitors to Lithuania. It is a bridge between Vilnius and London, and we see that users on both sides are satisfied. I am delighted that we have been able to secure this route both in 2019 and now. It is a good example of cooperation between project management and national institutions. We hope that Lithuanian Airports will be able to use this model to secure other important destinations for the country," said the Minister of Transport and Communications Marius Skuodis. 

Aušrinė Armonaitė, the Minister of Economy and Innovation, said that direct connections to priority countries are of vital importance both for our business and for foreign investors working in Lithuania. 

"Flight to London is also good news for our community. Using the new flight development model, Lithuania will become even more attractive for job creation and inbound tourism," says A. Armonaitė.

Vilnius Mayor Valdas Benkunskas says that it is important for Vilnius to have good connections to London. 

"London is home to financial centres of global importance. We want to see more international companies setting up in Vilnius and more good jobs, so we will look for ways to help increase demand for flights that are important for the capital," says the Mayor of Vilnius. 

A convenient schedule


The Contract with LOT Polish Airlines was signed after an international selection process for a scheduled flight operator. The selection criteria included the requirement that the route be operated at time and frequencies convenient for business travellers. All the necessary qualification checks and coordination of the joint business plan were carried out prior to the signature of the Contract. The new model will commence on October 1st this year and will ensure uninterrupted services on this important route. 

"This route is a prestigious project and a very strategic one in the context of the existing regular flights. From October onwards, the flight will continue to operate from Vilnius at a very convenient time, which we believe will also contribute to its growing popularity.  It is very important to understand that the country's investment in the development of priority flights is necessary, therefore, together with our partners, we will make every effort to ensure that the state budget will provide the necessary amount for the effective continuation of the development of the flights in the coming years as well," says Simonas Bartkus, CEO of Lithuanian Airports. 

S. Bartkus stresses that the new flight development model is not a subsidy or grant to airlines. Under this model, both in this case and in the future, contracts will only be concluded with those airlines with which a financially viable business plan for a particular route has been agreed, both for Lithuanian Airports and airlines. The new model is based on a long-term partnership between Lithuanian Airports and the airlines operating the flights. Both parties to the Contract will bear the financial risks associated with the operation of the flight and will share the financial benefits generated by the flight. All the terms and conditions for sharing the financial risks and benefits are set out in the business plan between Lithuanian Airports and LOT Polish Airlines. 


This new practice, he said, could provide a solid basis for future planning of the development of priority routes on a similar model. 

It should also be noted that the capital of the United Kingdom is also among the priority destinations for inbound tourism, so a direct flight to the centre of London is an advantage in attracting more tourists to Lithuania. The possibility of a direct flight to London could serve as a catalyst for inbound tourism, with the right focus by Lithuania’s tourism representatives placed on-demand stimulation.

Connecting to London is a priority 


Until now, LOT Polish Airlines had been contracted under a different model (Public Service Obligation - PSO), but with the UK's exit from the European Union (EU), it was no longer possible to contract under such EU regulation. 

Flights between Vilnius and the City of London were also operated by LOT Polish Airlines from May 1st 2019 until September 30th this year. This project was one of the few regulatory exemptions granted by the European Commission allowing an airline to grant State aid for the operation of a flight when the flight is recognized as a flight of special interest within the EU.

17 June, 2023

A year of progress..... London City Airport publishes its 2022 Sustainability Report......

London City Airport publishes its 2022 Sustainability Report, updating on progress against the airport’s sustainability targets, including achieving net zero carbon by 2030

68% of passengers used public and sustainable transport to get to the airport in 2022.

Airport eliminates single-use plastic security bags, thanks to new CT security scanners

 

London City Airport this week published its 2022 Sustainability Report, which updates on the airport’s progress one year on from publishing ‘Above and Beyond: our Roadmap to a Sustainable Future’, with a quarter of the Action Plan commitments completed and over a third progressing as planned. 

Critically, the report shows under our first sustainability pillar ‘Decarbonising our Airport’ that the airport has made good progress in recent years reducing the carbon emissions for which it is directly responsible (Scopes 1 and 2), and continuing to maintain our reduction in emissions in 2022, despite a significant increase in passenger numbers (which increased from 714,000 passengers in 2021 to 3 million in 2022). 

In 2022, LCY became one of only two UK airports to achieve Level 4+ in the Airport Carbon Accreditation programme, placing it at the forefront of positive climate adaptation in the aviation sector. 

New data found that 68% of passengers accessed the airport by public and sustainable transport – the highest percentage of any UK airport. LCY continues to work closely with partners to enhance train and bus connections to the airport, including the new Elizabeth Line, as well as improvements to the DLR, such as the introduction of new carriages on services to the airport by 2024. The airport has also supported a car-sharing scheme for staff and rolled out EV chargers for use by passengers, staff and taxis in 2022.

16 January, 2023

Luxair launches only direct London to Antwerp service



Luxair launches only direct London to Antwerp service

Four times a week service commenced at 6.40am on Monday
Luxair using a 78-seat De Havilland Dash DHC-8-Q400 on the route
The service will increase to five weekly from April
Connecting London to more underserved European cities, a key plank of the airport’s 2023 aviation strategy

Antwerp, the jewel in the crown of the Flanders region, has once again returned to the LCY departures board with Luxair offering four times a week services direct from the heart of London.

The one hour flight, with prices starting at £45 for a one-way ticket, will mean passengers will be able to enjoy more time in the city, being wowed by the Grand Markt or sampling the local delicacies, including the Antwerpse Handjes biscuit, the Elixer D’Anvers liqueur, and of course, lashings of fries!

With a departure time of 6.40am, if you are planning to do business in Antwerp, you will be at your meeting by 10am.

The route restarts as London City is preparing further investments into its award winning passenger proposition, including the installation of the latest, state of the art security scanners on all lanes by April and investing £12 million in upgrading the departures area, offering more restaurants, an expanded Duty-Free, and more seats.

Speaking about the route, and also looking to the future, the airports Director of Aviation, Anne Doyere said:“We have long coveted restarting the Antwerp route and I am delighted that Luxair sees its potential, not least because it will be the only direct connection between these two dynamic, culturally rich, European cities.

The pandemic eroded some of London’s direct connections to European cities and we believe restarting them will not only be good for passengers, but for business and the economy too.

We are looking forward to working with airlines like Luxair, chambers of commerce and businesses of all sizes to help build the case for more routes to and from London’s fastest, most convenient and reliable airport.”






19 December, 2022

London City submits a planning application for longer weekend hours and more flights.....


London City Airport today submitted an application to the London Borough of Newham to make changes to its existing planning permission. The application follows an extensive 10-week local consultation carried out by the airport and includes: 

Increasing the current planning cap on the number of passengers from 6.5 million to 9 million passengers per annum by 2031  
An extension to the operating hours on Saturday from the current closing time of 12.30pm to 6.30 pm, with an additional hour in Summer for arriving flights only, up to a maximum of 12
Allowing three additional flights in the first half hour of operations on Mondays to Saturdays (6.30am-6.59am) with a new limit of 9 flights instead of the current limit of 6 flights
A requirement that all aircraft operating in the newly extended hours on Saturday or additional flights in the first 30 minutes must be cleaner, quieter, new generation aircraft, operating to the highest noise and emissions standards 
 

What will not change as part of the application: 

The airport is not seeking any increase to the annual number of permitted flights, which will remain at 111,000 
No change to the existing 8-hour nightly curfew  
No additional infrastructure  
Sunday operations will be unchanged, commencing from 12.30pm until 10.00pm 
No change to the restrictions in the last 30 minutes of operations which will remain capped at 400 per annum for late departing or arriving aircraft 
In a first for a UK airport, London City will mandate that only cleaner, quieter, new generation aircraft will be allowed to operate in any newly extended hours on a Saturday, and for any new flights in the first half hour of the day.  

 

This will result in airlines replacing their older fleets with new generation aircraft in order to benefit from any increased flexibility, which in turn will accelerate the benefits of quieter aircraft for local residents throughout the week as the airport becomes home to one of the youngest, most modern, aircraft fleets in the country.  

 

The proposals have been developed in close consultation with the airport’s major airlines who support the sustainability ambitions in the plans.

 

With East London, and Newham in particular, facing up to the stark challenges of the cost-of-living crisis, the airport will, as part of the plans, offer a new Community Fund of £3.8 million over ten years to be distributed directly to local good causes via the established Trust. Currently, the airport’s Community Fund awards £75,000 per year. The growth in passenger numbers to 9 million annually and increased flexibility will also create almost 2,200 additional jobs across London, with 1,340 being created at the airport itself.  

 

The plans include further enhancements to the airport’s sound insulation scheme, which is already one of the most generous in the UK.

 

In addition, the airport plans to create a Transport Fund which could be used to improve bus connections between the airport and the Elizabeth Line and enhanced DLR operations in the mornings, benefiting staff, passengers, and local residents.  

 

Commenting on the plans, the airport’s Chief Executive, Robert Sinclair, said: “As we bounce back from the pandemic and demand increases, we need to ensure London City can accommodate the increase in business and leisure passengers forecast over the next decade or so, particularly as East London grows, and more and more passengers choose to fly through London’s fastest and most convenient airport. Most importantly, the proposals have been very carefully designed with input from our airlines to ensure that flying from London City becomes more sustainable, with more new generation aircraft, reducing noise impacts and emissions per passenger. 

 

“We are committed to working with our local community to ensure our plans work for residents as well as our airlines and passengers. We have listened to the feedback provided in our extensive consultation, and have adjusted the proposals to reflect concerns raised, including reducing the proposed increase in operating hours on Saturdays, reducing the proposed increase in flights in the first 30 minutes and retaining the existing limit on flights in the last 30 minutes. Our proposals will create more jobs, invest more money into the local community, fund better transport connections and improve sound insulation for local residents.” 

 

More detail on the proposals will be available once the London Borough of Newham have checked the application details and publicise their statutory consultation on the proposals. This is expected to run from mid-January 2023.

 







09 December, 2022

From the City to the slopes, ski routes launch at London City Airport

London City Airport (LCY) launches ski and Christmas routes to Chambéry and Salzburg this December, providing even more choice for passengers this winter

Complements existing British Airways (BA) CityFlyer/ SWISS services to Zurich and Geneva, plus BA CityFlyer/ Lufthansa services to Frankfurt and BA CityFlyer services to Prague, Berlin, Dusseldorf
LCY’s November passenger numbers up 187% on the same period last year with 272,000 passengers, demonstrating resilience in air travel
December passenger forecast is nearly three times higher than December last year


London City Airport (LCY) launches ski and Christmas routes to Chambéry and Salzburg this December, providing even more choice for passengers this winter Complements existing British Airways (BA)
This December London City Airport (LCY) launches ski and Christmas routes to Chambéry and Salzburg, providing even more choice for passengers this winter. As the first meaningful European ski season since the pandemic gets underway, passengers are expected to hit the slopes as they look to get their ski legs back.

 

Starting this week from the 9th of December, BA CityFlyer will fly to Salzburg and from the 17th of December direct to Chambéry in the French Alps twice a week. Chambéry Airport is under 90 minutes away from popular ski resorts such as the Three Valleys (Courchevel, Méribel and Val Thorens); Megève; Portes du Soleil; Chamonix and La Clusaz. While Salzburg, known for being the birthplace of Mozart, is 60 minutes from the slopes of Kitzbühel, Bad Hofgastein and Zell am See.

 

These routes to the Alps complement existing BA CityFlyer and SWISS services to Geneva and Zurich, plus services to Frankfurt (with BA CityFlyer and Lufthansa), Prague, Dusseldorf and Berlin (with BA CityFlyer), which are perfect for the Christmas markets.

 

These leisure routes start as LCY’s November passenger numbers are up 187% on the same period last year, with 272,000 passengers as the airport closes in on reaching 3 million passengers in 2022. November’s growth is primarily due to BA CityFlyer’s expanded schedule.

 

Meanwhile, LCY’s forecast is nearly three times higher than December last year, with 245,000 passengers expected through the airport this December and 60,000 passengers expected in the week leading up to Christmas.

 

Commenting on the routes launch and the Airport’s November figures, Aviation Director, Anne Doyere, said: “We are delighted these routes between London City Airport and the Alps are launching this December, which will provide even more choice for passengers this ski season and for the Christmas markets.”

 

Doyere added: “London City is perfectly placed for passengers to go straight from the office to the Alps for a quick ski trip this winter, as it’s possible to get from central London to your gate in around 40 minutes or from Canary Wharf to your gate in around 30 minutes. That means you could leave your London office and be in the Alps in under three hours. That’s an incredible proposition for passengers.”

 

The airport served 24 destinations in November and this will grow to 26 destinations in December. The top destinations for November were Amsterdam, Edinburgh, Zurich, Frankfurt and Dublin.

 

In addition to Chambéry and Salzburg, SWISS offers 22 services a week to Zurich, with BA CityFlyer offering 17. BA CityFlyer also has three services a week to Geneva in December, growing to five in January, while SWISS offers 11 services to Geneva in December, growing to 13 in January. 







01 December, 2022

London City Airport announces Andrew Hodges as new Chief Commercial Officer

London City Airport announces Andrew Hodges as new Chief Commercial Officer

Norse Atlantic Airways, Chief Commercial Officer to join London City Airport



London City Airport has announced that, following an extensive search and selection process, Andrew Hodges will be appointed as its new Chief Commercial Officer. Andy has over 25 years’ experience in the airline sector, including most recently, at the UK and Europe’s newest transatlantic airline, Norse Atlantic, where he was responsible for group commercial strategy & performance, including network & airport development, route performance, product strategy, customer service and sales, marketing & distribution.

Andy also spent 12 years at the UK’s second-largest airline, easyJet, working in a range of commercial roles, including as Head of Network & Scheduling, helping the Luton-based carrier achieve a 40% cumulative capacity growth between 2014 and 2018, as well as leading on the airline’s strategy for attracting more corporate and business travel.

Andy is set to join London City in February 2023, replacing Richard Hill who recently joined the aircraft leasing company, Abelo, as its Chief Financial Officer. 

Andy is joining at an exciting time for the airport as it proceeds with a £12 million revamp of its departure lounge, upgrade of security and as many of its airlines look to grow rotations on core routes, as well as connect to new destinations across Europe.

The Chief Commercial Officer is part of LCY’s five strong Leadership team, reporting directly to the airport’s Chief Executive, Robert Sinclair.

25 November, 2022

London City and Leidos announce partnership to transform airport security experience

The best airport experience in London is about to get even better from April 2023. London City Airport is investing in replacing its existing conventional security X-ray machines with new, state-of-the-art, CT scanners, provided by Leidos.

 With close to 4 million passengers expected through London’s most central airport in 2023, the upgrade will mean travellers can leave everything in their hand luggage, as the new scanners eliminate the need to remove items, such as laptops and approved liquids, before going through the X-ray machine.

After being ranked ‘best performing UK airport for security queues’ by a recent Which? survey, London City Airport is set to offer an even better security experience, with the introduction of an all-CT scanner operation from April 2023

London City will be amongst the first UK airports to offer a full CT security proposition

The new scanners have been successfully trialled throughout 2022, delivering an even higher security performance, alongside an improved passenger experience

With the new technology from Leidos, passengers can leave everything in their hand luggage, meaning there will be no need to remove laptops and liquids from hand luggage

This follows a £12 million investment programme to modernise the airport’s departure lounge, which is set for completion by Summer 2023


 
And for LCY, already renowned for its unique passenger proposition of speed and convenience, the new CT scanners will mean an even faster and improved experience at the airport for passengers, which follows the airport’s separate £12 million departure lounge investment.

 Commenting on the upgrade, the airport’s Chief Operating Officer, Alison FitzGerald, said: “Following our one-lane trial this year, we know the new CT scanners are high performing and our passengers love them.

We are always challenging ourselves to make the LCY experience even better, so this, alongside the £12 million upgrade in the departure lounge will mean the journey through the airport in 2023 will be even slicker, with more space and better food & beverage and retail options.

Thanks to the Leidos solution, alongside speed, it also delivers the highest security specifications.”

 

01 November, 2022

Following strong October performance, BA CityFlyer launches new route between Aberdeen and London City Airport.....

BA CityFlyer’s daily service to Aberdeen (ABZ) launches from London City Airport (LCY)

Even more choice for passengers in time for Christmas and Hogmanay

LCY saw nearly five times more passengers this summer than the same period last year

October passenger numbers up 103% on the same period last year, demonstrating resilience in business travel


LCY / Stuart Bailey Photography
BA CityFlyer heading to Aberdeen....Photo LCY / Stuart Bailey Photography
Today British Airways launched a new route between London City Airport (LCY) and Aberdeen (ABZ) for the winter season. Flights will operate from today and run until Sunday, 22 January 2023 on the Embraer E190 aircraft.

The news comes as the airport’s biggest carrier, British Airways continues to add more capacity, as business travel gathers momentum. LCY’s proximity to London’s financial district, means faster connections to the UK’s capital, supporting businesses and helping drive economic growth. The route also provides more opportunity for people to see the Granite City and other areas around the Scottish North Sea coast, including scenic castles in the region, such as the holiday home of the Royal Family, Balmoral Castle.

Commenting on BA CityFlyer’s new route and London City Airport’s October figures, Aviation Director, Anne Doyere, said: “We are delighted BA CityFlyer is launching this route between London City Airport and Aberdeen that will provide even more choice for passengers, particularly in time for Christmas and Hogmanay.

“With six routes across the country, we offer the best, most comprehensive service between London and Scotland.”

“This news comes after our bumper summer, where we saw nearly five times more passengers this summer than the same period last year. We’ve also seen over 300,000 passengers in October, which is a 103% increase on 2021, with strong load factors. October passenger numbers are also higher than August, demonstrating a clear resilience in the business travel market.”

The airport served 23 destinations in October, with the top five destinations for the month being Amsterdam, Edinburgh, Zurich, Frankfurt and Dublin.

Doyere added “In 2022, the airport has been recognised for its excellent passenger experience, being selected as the best airport in the UK by both Condé Nast and The Telegraph, and last week, LCY was ranked the best performing London airport in the 2022 Which? survey.”



.

 
  • BA CityFlyer’s Aberdeen schedule is below:

London City (LCY) to Aberdeen (ABZ)

Days of week

Flight number

Departing LCY

Arriving ABZ

Flight number

Departing ABZ

Arriving LCY

Mon and Tue

BA2210

20:05

21:35

BA2211

07:30

09:05

Wed and Thu

BA2210

21:00

22:30

BA2211

07:30

09:05

Fri

BA2210

18:30

20:00

BA2211

08:00

09:35

Sat

BA2210

11:20

12:50

BA2211

09:00

10:35

Sun

BA2210

20:25

21:55

BA2211

12:00

13:35





24 October, 2022

East London small to medium-sized businesses / SMEs are in the running for millions of pounds worth of business


Photo London City Airport
On Tuesday 18 October, 104 small to medium-sized businesses (SMEs) gathered at the ExCel in London for the East London Meet the Buyer event to learn about tender opportunities with London City Airport and other local businesses.

 
Buyers hosted in excess of 700 meetings with suppliers to discuss the work that the airport and larger local businesses will need completed in the upcoming months throughout their supply chain.

In addition to the pitching and networking, suppliers attended a range of workshops with OneSource, Newham College, Living Wage, and the University of East London covering issues such as ‘Paying a real living wage’ and ‘learning new ways to recruit’.
 

Supported by local companies such as Circle UK Group and Fusion Blu, this year’s event saw prestigious buyers such as Glenman Corporation, HSS Hire, Jerram Falkus, Higgins Partnerships, One Source and Berkeley Homes provide an insight into what they are looking for from prospective suppliers. 
 

Previous years have seen the likes of Balfour Beatty, Greater London Authority and Transport for London offer more than £3.5m of new work to local SMEs, with 100% of past buyers saying they have looked to place business with suppliers met at the event. 
 

Nicki Clark OBE, UMi Chief Executive, said: “This Meet The Buyer event has been a huge success, with lots of relationships formed between the 23 buyers and 104 suppliers that attended. It will pave the way for millions of pounds worth of new work for SMEs in the years to come. It has been a pleasure to work with London City Airport and partners to showcase these opportunities.”

11 October, 2022

London City Airport Community Fund awards £41.5k funding to local groups to support East London’s recovery

Photo London City Airport
Team Elite Basketball Club                                                        Photo  London City Airport.

London City Airport has announced the successful applicants to the latest round of grants in 2022 from the airport’s £75,000 Community Fund.
 
In total, £41,580 of funding has been awarded to 15 local groups and community organisations covering six East London boroughs including Newham, Hackney, Lewisham, City of London, Tower Hamlets and Barking and Dagenham. Each successful applicant will receive grants of up to £3,000 to enable significant and positive change in their local communities.
 


Successful grantees that have secured funding in this latest round include Newham All Star Sports Academy, who are working with young girls in Newham and neighbouring boroughs to support mental health and well-being through sport, plus Blind in Business, based in the City of London who work with surrounding East London Boroughs to support blind beneficiaries by raising aspirations and getting them into employment.  

Jago Streete-Campbell, Director of Basketball Operations at Newham All-Star Sports Academy (NASSA) said:  “We are thrilled to be successful in receiving funding for our project. The London City Airport Community Fund grant is going to make a significant impact to the young people from disadvantaged communities. This grant will give us the opportunity to provide more accessible sessions in the community for boys and girls ages 11-15, as well as volunteer opportunities for young adults ages 16-24.”  

04 August, 2022

640,000 passengers passed through from London City Airport over June and July

As the summer getaway commenced, London City served 640,000 passengers across June and July and remains on course to reach the 3 million mark by the end of the year.

August is also set to be busy, with over 300,000 passengers expected to travel as the airport closes in on one million passengers for the core summer travel months.

With the airport teams fully staffed since the start of the getaway, London City has delivered a consistently high level of customer service and continues to, on average, get passengers from the DLR to their gate lounge inside 25 minutes.

London City is also urging passengers who are booked to travel in August to turn up no more than 2 hours before their flight and to be prepared for security in order to make the experience as smooth and as stress free as possible for everyone.

While the UK Government’s slot amnesty resulted in small changes to the airport schedule, London City’s operation has been largely unaffected through August and airlines have some remaining capacity on key domestic and short-haul European routes.

With the airport welcoming almost 70% of its 2019 passenger numbers over the same period, the staples of Amsterdam, Edinburgh and Zurich remained the busiest overall routes. However, Ibiza has been the strongest leisure performer, followed by Florence, Palma, Nice and Malaga.

Commenting on the results the Airport’s Chief Executive, Robert Sinclair, said:  “We have made a conscious effort with our airlines to attract more leisure routes and passengers this summer and the fact we could reach close to 1 million passengers for the period is testament to the resilience of our operation and quality of the passenger experience we offer. For anybody considering a last-minute getaway, we would love to welcome them at London City.

23 July, 2022

The largest aircraft to land at London City Airport - Welcome to Embraer E195-E2

London City Airport welcomed a visit from Embraer's largest passenger jet the E195-E2.
Photo LCY



An impressive debut at London City Airport occurred this week when London's favourite airport welcomed an Embraer E195-E2 jet fresh from display at The Farnborough Airshow.

This, the latest in Embraer's commercial passenger jets was able to cope with the steep approach needed to operate from the docklands airport, with ease. The visit was in anticipation of the aircraft’s certification to fly in and out of the airport that requires a descent angle of around 5.5 degrees, which is expected by the end of the year. The visit was also to conduct ground handling and other operational tests and other preparations ahead of the expected scheduled deployment once certification is granted. 

Water canon welcome for the E195-E2 at London City Airport
Photo LCY
The aircraft, the largest in the E2 family, seating up to 146 passengers, was flown into LCY on a 39% blend of Sustainable Aviation Fuel. Embraer’s test aircraft, featuring the eye-catching black and gold TechLion livery, was welcomed with the traditional water salute from London City Airport’s fire service.

The visit demonstrates the importance Embraer places on being able to offer LCY capability to airlines with the E195-E2 - the E190-E2 began operations into LCY with in September 2021. The airport is a vital component of London’s wider connectivity, and Embraer aircraft are uniquely able to manage the challenges of LCY operations; Embraer aircraft account for 85% of all LCY operations on routes as diverse as Edinburgh and Mykonos.

Alison FitzGerald, Chief Operation Officer at London City Airport, said, “The arrival of the E195-E2 signals that we are on the cusp of welcoming more new generation aircraft that provide world-class environmental performance, carry more passengers, and have the potential to connect this airport with more global markets.

This moment also represents the strength of the partnership we have with Embraer, and together, we are pushing the envelope of what’s possible at this airport, as at 146 seats and a wingspan of 35 metres, it will be comfortably the largest aircraft to operate from LCY.

While the immediate focus is certification, we are hopeful that we will see the first E195-E2 in operation next year with KLM which will be real cause of celebration.”
 
Arjan Meijer, President and CEO of Embraer Commercial Aviation, said, “London City feels like home for Embraer. It’s a great airport, not just because it’s fast and efficient for passengers to travel through, but because its unique challenges as an airfield demonstrate the excellent performance of our E-Jets. We are immensely proud to be the dominant aircraft brand at LCY, and look forward to seeing scheduled services begin with the E195-E2.”  

Photo LCY
The E2 is the most efficient single-aisle aircraft flying today, saving up to 25% carbon dioxide emissions compared to previous generation aircraft. Over 30% lower CO2 emission per seat versus jets of current generation operating at the airport

In early July, Embraer and Pratt & Whitney successfully tested a E195-E2 aircraft on 100% sustainable aviation fuel (SAF). With 100% SAF, the 25% reduction in emissions can be increased up to an impressive 85%.

In terms of noise reduction, the E195-E2 offers an over 65% reduction in noise footprint area compared to jets of current generation operating at the airport.

LCY’s runway length measures just 1,508 metres and descent angles are up to 5.5 degrees. Currently, 85% of all flights landing or departing LCY are E-Jets or the E190-E2 operated by carriers such as BA Cityflyer, KLM Cityhopper, and Helvetic Airways.

But what was it like on board?  Read the excellent report by Sumit Singh on Simply Flying. 







01 July, 2022

London City Airport wants to open longer to meet growing travel demand................

London City Airport begins 10-week consultation on changes to its existing planning permission


             One of the best European airports,  London City is looking to expand its operating hours to meet increased demand for travel. Already the small city airport is set to see 3 million people pass through its terminal this year and within the next two years, it expects to get back to the pre-pandemic level of 5 million passengers a year. 

With a little change to the operating hours the airport currently runs to, could see up to 9 million people travel through the airport, with no major changes to its existing runway and infrastructure. The airport is seeking to open for an hour longer on weekdays and open on Saturday afternoon and evening, which will,  according to the airport create around 2,100 additional jobs and also provide a boost to business productivity locally equivalent to £530m a year. This would also support tourist expenditure in London of around £600m a year and contribute an additional £750m annually to London’s economy, they say. 

In the consultation plans released today, the airport sets out how it can play an important role in meeting the increased demand in London, as well as providing more choice and flexibility for travellers planning business and leisure trips domestically and internationally. Most importantly, growth to 9 million passengers a year can be delivered without requiring any additional infrastructure and ahead of longer-term, strategic, aviation planning decisions for other airports in the South-East.

Master Plan LCY_MP.pdf 

The airport is inviting views on additional flexibility to operate on a Saturday afternoon and evening, as well as additional flexibility in the first and last half hour of daily operations (0630-0700hrs and 2200-2230hrs).

The plans come with a commitment from the airport that only cleaner, quieter, new generation aircraft, such as the Airbus A220 and Embraer E2, would be allowed to fly in the new operating periods. This would bring forward the delivery of more of these aircraft to the airport and allow better connections to new destinations.

The consultation also details how the current 8-hour night-time curfew will remain, as well as the current operating hours on Sunday, with no flights being permitted until early afternoon (1230hrs). No increase to the current annual limit on flights is proposed. In order to meet its targets of achieving 80% of journeys to and from the airport by sustainable transport modes, no additional car parking is proposed either.

Commenting on the consultation, the Airport’s Chief Executive Officer, Robert Sinclair, said: “London City Airport plays an incredibly important role in quickly and easily connecting London to the rest of the UK and the world for both business and leisure travel. The strength of our rebound demonstrates the huge pent-up demand for air travel and the need to plan responsibly for the future.
Most importantly, following our commitment to be the first net zero airport in London by 2030, these proposals set out how London City and its airlines can meet future demand in a sustainable way. In particular, it will accelerate investment in cleaner, quieter, new generation aircraft, for use in the extended periods, delivering the benefit of quieter aircraft to our local community throughout the whole week.
During the 10-week consultation we want to hear from everybody so that we have the most informed plans for the future as possible.”

 

Tom Stoddart, CEO of British Airways CityFlyer, said:   "We welcome these proposals, which will provide more choice and flexibility for our customers, increase local jobs and help to drive London’s economic recovery. At British Airways, we remain focused on a sustainable future and these proposals put sustainability at the forefront of change at London City.

At British Airways we have a clear roadmap to get us to net zero emissions by 2050, including flying more fuel-efficient aircraft, progressively introducing sustainable aviation fuel and looking at how we can help accelerate the growth of new technologies, such as zero emissions hydrogen-powered aircraft.”

 

Warner Rootliep, Managing Director of KLM Cityhopper, said:  “London City is a key airport in our UK network, providing fast and convenient connections to and from the rest of the world via KLM’s hub at Amsterdam Schiphol Airport.  

KLM has recently acquired a fleet of new generation Embraer E195-E2 aircraft, which is ideally suited to airports like London City, and more operational flexibility will help us grow this vital route using our new aircraft, reducing noise and emissions.  We look forward to reviewing the proposals in detail.”

 

The 10-week consultation includes 7 public events across East London between July 12th and 21st as well as pop-up events through August. Additionally, for people unable to attend any of the events, all of the consultation materials can be viewed on the airport’s online consultation portal here: https://consultation.londoncityairport.com/




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