British Airways took delivery of it's first Embraer 170LR aircraft a few weeks ago and today begins flying the single-class, 76-seat aircraft. The aircraft will be operated from London City Airport by BA CityFlyer, British Airways' wholly-owned regional subsidiary.The Embraer 170 obtained steep approach certification to operate at London City Airport in June 2007. The steep approach uses a software solution developed within the existing fly-by-wire system, which means improved flight quality and control, as well as reduced pilot workload, less weight, and lower maintenance costs.
The inaugural service flight for the aircraft will be London City-Amsterdam (BA8453). Other routes that will see the Embraer are as follows:
October 2009: London City-Frankfurt, London City-Nice
November 2009: London City-Madrid
December 2009: London City-Edinburgh, London City-Zurich
February 2010: London City-Glasgow
March 2010: London City-Barcelona
British Airways has ordered six Embraer 170s and five Embraer 190s, plus options for an additional three E-190s. The E-190 should enter service in April 2010. These aircrafts will replace the existing fleet of Avro RJ85s and RJ100s, which have been the dominant aircraft for London City since it opened two decades ago.