British Airways scraps its Embraer E170 fleet

It looks like the Boeing 747 and Airbus A318 won’t be the last fleet casualties at British Airways.

According to Simple Flying, BA CityFlyer has decided to get rid of its six Embraer E170 aircraft.

BA CityFlyer is the British Airways subsidiary which operates flights from London City Airport.

The length of the runway at London City, and the need for departing aircraft to gain height quickly enough to avoid Canary Wharf, means that the smaller Embraer aircraft have been the preferred choice there. In the last few years, BA CityFlyer has been investing in the larger E190 version.

It isn’t the end of the line for the six aircraft in the E170 fleet. They are being sold to Envoy Air in the US, which operates as an American Airlines feeder under the ‘American Eagle’ brand.

The sale will not have a major impact on BA CityFlyer. It now has a fleet of 22 x E190 aircraft, the majority of which are currently parked at Norwich Airport. The loss of the six smaller E170 planes will not lead to noticeable cuts to services once flying resumes in earnest.

Envoy expects to take delivery from May, with the planes back in service – after having the seat count reduced – from July.

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