As you may know, KLM Cityhopper plans to reduce the number of aircraft in its fleet from the current 60 (including those inactive) to 52 by 2026. Its fleet comprises the Embraer 175, E190, and E195-E2. They're unsung heroes in KLM's operation, playing a vital role. Used on thinner routes or at less popular times, they enable higher frequencies to drive connectivity. Some 78 routes from Amsterdam see the Embraers this week.

60 Embraers

KLM Cityhopper's fleet consists solely of Embraers, of which it has 60, according to ch-aviation.com. Some 51 are presently active. In all, it has 30 130-seat E190s, 17 88-seat E175s, and 132-seat 13 E195 E2s, the first of the latter was delivered in early 2021. The Embraers replaced its aging but exciting and characterful Fokker 70s and 100s, which I was lucky enough to fly on several occasions.

The regional operator's fleet reduction to 52 is based on E2s being a more critical part of its fleet, increasing seats per flight and overall capacity. It is part of a trend of regional carriers worldwide toward upgauging, benefiting from the economic and competitive advantages that result in.

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Up to 130 departing flights daily

Between December 1st and 7th, KLM has 871 flights departing from Amsterdam, according to data from OAG, with between 117 and 130 daily (double for both ways). The Embraers have 49.9% (!) of KLM's 1,745 Amsterdam services this week.

The E190 has more flights than any other type (469), followed by the 737-800 (451), E175 (241), and E2 (161). Put another way, the E190 alone operates one in every four KLM flights.

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78 Embraer routes this week

Examining KLM Cityhopper's route network reveals some 78 airports will see its Embraers this week, as shown in the map below. The average distance is 428 miles (689km), with the shortest Amsterdam-Brussels at 98 miles (158km) and the longest Alicante at 1,002 miles (1,613km).

Not surprisingly, all 78 routes are within Europe, with 18 countries served. With 210 Embraer flights, the UK has more than anywhere else, thanks to 17 airports across the country seeing them. It's followed by Germany (157), France (72), Norway (72), Italy (67), and Poland (67). The latter has benefited from recent new routes to Katowice.

Business-driven London City is the most served across the 78-strong network, as shown in the following table. It has 35 weekly Embraer flights, varying from 2x daily (Saturday) to 6x daily (Monday-Friday). It's far above the average of 11x weekly, influenced by 20 airports seeing the types less than daily. Three routes (Alicante, Birmingham, Madrid) have just one Embraer flight in the examined seven days.

Top ten Embraer routes

From December 1st and 7th, KLM Cityhopper's most served routes are summarized below. You'll note that seven of the ten, including Frankfurt, are exclusively by the jets, while nearly half of Heathrow's operation is.

Will you be flying with KLM Cityhopper soon? If so, let us know in the comments.

• 

  KLM

  IATA/ICAO Code:

  KL/KLM

  Airline Type:

  Full Service Carrier

  Hub(s):

  Amsterdam Schiphol Airport

  Year Founded:

  1919

  Alliance:

  SkyTeam

  Airline Group:

  Air France-KLM

  CEO:

  Marjan Rintel

  Country:

  Netherlands