Aircraft operators flying into London City Airport must have approval added to their AOC for steep approaches and departures to comply with noise regulations. Oxaero, the Oxford-based charter operator, believes its CitationJet is the first of this model to gain approval to fly into London City. \r The proving flight was on March 9, and approval followed a week later; the CitationJet can now carry passengers from the centre of London to destinations in western Europe direct. Alex Durand, managing director of Oxaero, explained that the company's two Citation Is could not be certified to fly out of the airport because Cessna did not provide figures to prove that this aircraft was capable of the steep climb and descent.\r "London City is a popular choice for many charter clients, but until now has been restricted to larger jet aircraft," said Durand. "Our CitationJet offers a cost-effective option from London City, previously unavailable from UK operators. The aircraft has already carried out flights from this airport." \r The CitationJet has been with Oxaero since October 1999, and has completed 150 hours in five months. "We thought customers wouldn't really notice the difference between that and the Citation I," admitted Durand, "but they actually ask for it now. Cessna have redesigned the cabin, made it better lit; the Citation I could seem quite dark. It has a much more efficient interior, it seems bigger than it is."\r Oxaero is in its 21st year of trading, and says it is enjoying its busiest year to date. Durand expects the company to report record first quarter figures in terms of sales and flight hours. "We are looking to replace our two Citation Is with CitationJets. It's important to embrace new technology, especially with the new aerospace regulations which are coming up."