On the eve of the EBACE convention, Flexjet demonstrated its newly-acquired Embraer Legacy 500 business jet has mastered the steep approach required to land at London City airport.
“I congratulate Flexjet on being the first Legacy 500 customer to operate at LCY,” says said Marco Tulio Pellegrini, president and CEO of Embraer Executive Jets. “This new operational capability for London’s financial district, one of Europe’s major business aviation hubs, will offer our customers additional flexibility in the best-in-class midsize jet.”
The approach glidepath angle to land at most airports is a steady 3°. To meet London City’s stringent noise abatement standards however, the airport requires operators to descend at an accelerated 5.5° angle. Though steep compared to a normal glidepath, the 5.5° approach is actually relaxed from London City’s original requirement for a 7.5° angle, which allowed only the DeHavilland Dash 7 turboprop to take-off and land from the relatively short downtown runway.
Last November, Embraer received approval from Brazilian civil aviation authority ANAC to operate the Legacy 500 on steep approaches. Follow-on approvals from the European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) and London City also were obtained after a “comprehensive flight test campaign”, Embraer says.
“London City Airport, with its easy access to the city’s financial districts, is an important destination for Flexjet owners and clients who are making use of our rapidly growing international service offering,” said Flexjet CEO Michael Silvestro. “The Embraer Legacy 500, with its light environmental footprint and ability to meet strict noise limits, is the ideal aircraft to serve London City Airport.”
Source: FlightGlobal.com
