History-making Helvetic
HELVETIC AIRWAYS made history on March 26 by becoming the first airline to operate an Embraer E195-E2 at London City Airport. This aircraft was the largest ever to use the central London facility.
The 134-seat jet, HB-AZI (c/n 19020055), which measures 41.5 metres, was operating flight LX456 from Zurich on behalf of its partner Swiss International Air Lines, with special ‘E195-E2 largest aircraft in LCY’ stickers added to the rear of the fuselage. Helvetic also flew the first E190-E2 commercial service into London/City in September 2021. The airline’s CEO, Tobias Pogorevc, said the airport’s steep approach placed “high demands on both the aircraft and the specially trained cockpit crews”. He said the company was “proud” of the achievement, which had made it “the only airline in the world to land at London/City with three different Embraer aircraft”.