Cityjet to Restart London City to Florence Service as Sukhoi moves closer to Certification
CityJet will restart its daily service from London City Airport to Tuscan city of Florence from 25th March. The flights depart London at 1045 and from Florence at 16.30 on weekdays, with early morning departures on Saturdays and late afternoon on Sunday. The service will be operated by an Avro RJ85.
CityJet Executive Chairman Pat Byrne said “We have been serving Florence for many years and we are delighted to return to the route after the winter break. London City to Florence has always proved to be a very popular route with our customers and we look forward to welcoming existing and new customers on board this summer.
“There are probably few other destinations in Italy or indeed in Europe that offer the charm and the attractions of Florence. Many visitors to Florence are short stay weekenders or only have a few days in the city and so flying directly to the airport on its doorstep certainly makes sense.”
Sukhoi Certification for London City
Sukhoi Civil Aircraft Co. (SCAC) has flown its Superjet SSJ100 regional jet for the first time with its new wingtip configuration. The tip extensions, called “Saberlets” by the Russian manufacturer, were devised by SCAC and Russia’s Central Aerohydrodynamic Institute (TsAGI). The first flight, flown by test pilot Sergey Korostiev, took place on 21st December at Moscow Zhukovsky Airport and lasted 2 hours 42 minutes. Initial data indicates an improvement in take-off and landing characteristics and a reduction in fuel consumption of around 3%. Certification for London City Airport is expected before the end of the year. The Saberlets will available as a kit from Voronezh Joint-Stock Aircraft Building Society (VASO) to retrofit onto existing aircraft.