London’s City airport welcomed its first Embraer E195-E2 service on March 26, 2025, making this the largest aircraft to operate from the central London airport.
The flight operated by Helvetic Airways on behalf of Swiss, on a wet-lease basis, took off from Zurich at 11.30 am local time and landed at London City Airport shortly after midday.
The Swiss regional airline also operated the world's first commercial service to land an E190-E2 at London City Airport in 2021.
“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,” said Alison FitzGerald, CEO of London City Airport.
The introduction of this new aircraft type on routes from London City could allow airlines to operate services to new destinations such as Istanbul, Gran Canaria, Casablanca, Athens, and Cairo.