ATR 72-500 lands at LCY

Article Type: News and views From: Aircraft Engineering and Aerospace Technology: An International Journal, Volume 81, Issue 4

ATR has received from the London City Airport (LCY) the approval to operate the ATR 72-500 in this downtown airport, after the aircraft successfully completed steep-approach trials and noise tests.

According to the LCY specific requirements due to the presence of obstacles,ATR has demonstrated the ability of the ATR 72-500 to approach the airport at 5.5°, while complying also with the strict limitations of the airport in terms of noise.

The ATR 72-500 joins the ATR 42-300 and the ATR 42-500, which are already approved to operate at LCY.

The Irish carrier Aer Arann became the first operator of the ATR 72-500 aircraft at the LCY, with inaugural flights from and to the Isle of Man.

Luigi Lombardi, ATR SVP Operations, declared: “We are proud to see that both the ATR 42 and the ATR 72 are now approved to operate in such a unique airport. We are also very pleased to contribute to the preservation of the environment in London with aircraft featuring very clear advantages in terms of CO₂ and noise emissions.” He added: “We are very satisfied with this approval because it will provide our ATR 72-500 operators with the opportunity to expand their network to the financial heart of the United Kingdom.”

Richard Gooding, Chief Executive of LCY, declared: “We welcome the introduction of the ATR 72-500 at London City Airport. This new addition completes the ATR family at the airport and provides a wider choice of aircraft types for our customer airlines to operate. We are committed to working with aircraft manufacturers to bring future aircraft into London City Airport, a popular choice for business-focused airlines due to our location on the doorstep of London’s financial district.”

Paul Schütz, Chief Executive of Aer Arann, said: “The introduction of the ATR 72-500 was a major element in our plans to offer a high quality product on this key business and leisure route. The standards of comfort, the quiet interior and the environmentally friendly performance of the aircraft mean that it is ideally suited to our regional air transport business model.”