Thai Crown Prince Boeing 737-400 registered HS-CMV on a fuel stop in Athens

Thailand Air Force Boeing 737-400 registered HS-CMV / 11-111 / 90410 that is used by the Thai Royal Family made a fuel stop in Athens an hour ago. It arrived from DXB (Dubai, United Arab Emirates) and departed at 16:35L for MUC (Munich, Germany) as VM904. CMV in the registration stands for Crown Prince Maha Vajiralongkorn, who is the son of King of Thailand and heir apparent to the Throne.


Boeing 737-400 / HS-CMV / about to depart from rwy 03L after a fuel stop in ATH

Athens Airways leased aircrafts list

Last updated 24/7/2009 01:00

Athens Airways has leased 7 planes since they started operations in January 2009, in order to be able to operate their full schedule.
Here is the list of planes used until today:
SX-ROD (Sky Express, Greece)
SX-DIA (Sky Express, Greece)
SX-DIZ (Astra Airlines, Greece)
9H-AFD (Medavia, Malta)
LZ-BOU (Bulgaria Air, Bulgaria)

Update 5/7/2009
The second Avro of Astra Airlines has been used today by Athens Airways:
SX-DIX (Astra Airlines, Greece)

Update 24/7/2009
A Fokker 50 was leased from Denim Air, in order to cover the absence of the Dash-8 which will go to Malta for A-Check at Medavia.
PH-JXN (Denim Air, the Netherlands)


Boeing 737-300 / LZ-BOU / leased for today's (31/5/2009) flight ZF432/433 to/from KVA (Kavala, Greece)

Royal Air Force L-1011 TriStar & Romavia Boeing 707 in Athens today

Last updated 29/5 14:50

A Royal Air Force Lockheed L-1011 TriStar 500, registered ZD948, made a sudden appearance in Athens today for a fuel stop. It arrived at around 14:30L and departed at 16:30 for MME (Durham Tees Valley, England) as RRR3603.
Earlier today a Boeing 707-300 of Romanian Air Force, registered YR-ABB, arrived in Athens carrying the Romanian President Mr. Traian Basescu. (photo in a couple of hours)


Lockheed L-1011 TriStar / ZD948 / about to depart from rwy 03L

Update 29/5
Added a video of L-1011 TriStar's taxi and departure from Athens.
Thanks to Vasilis for the video

Aegean Airlines accepted as future Star Alliance member

The Chief Executive Board of Star Alliance has accepted the membership application of Aegean Airlines of Greece. This was announced today at an official press conference held in Athens.

The integration work is estimated to take around 12 months. Once this process is complete, the Star Alliance network will encompass a total of 26 carriers (current 21 and confirmed future members Aegean Airlines, Air India, Brussels Airlines, Continental Airlines and TAM) and three regional member carriers (Adria Airways, Blue1 and Croatia Airlines).

Air China temporarily suspends Athens-Paris-Beijing flight

As of 22 May 2009, Air China temporarily suspends CA963|4 flight operating from Beijing to Paris CDG and Athens.

The flight will operate only till Paris CDG with the following schedule :
Sunday PEK0200 - 0715CDG CA963
Sunday CDG1410 - 1615PEK CA964

Hellenic Imperial Airways begins scheduled flights between Athens, Birmingham, Jeddah and Casablanca

Hellenic Imperial Airways (HT/IMP) is starting scheduled flights from Athens on May 27th. The first three destinations will be BHX (Birmingham, UK), JED (Jeddah, Saudi Arabia) and CMN (Casablanca, Morocco). The flights will be operated by Boeing 747-200.
More details about the flights:

ATH - BHX (Starts 30/5)
HT0269
Saturday 18:20 - 20:00
Monday 15:20 - 17:00

BHX - ATH (Starts 30/5)
HT0270
Monday 22:00- 03:00 (+1 day)

ATH - CMN (Starts 27/5)
HT0109
Wednesday 15:30 - 16:10
Sunday 15:30 - 16:10

CMN - ATH (Starts 27/5)
HT0110
Wednesday 21:40 - 03:00 (+1 day)
Sunday 21:40 - 03:00 (+1 day)

ATH - JED (Starts 27/5)
HT0341
Wednesday 05:00 - 08:00
Thursday 05:00 - 08:00
Sunday 05:00 - 08:00
Monday 05:00 - 08:00

JED - ATH (Starts 27/5)
HT0342
Wednesday 10:00 - 13:20
Thursday 10:00 - 13:20
Sunday 10:00 - 13:20
Monday 10:00 - 13:20

Fees (economy, web price):
ATH - BHX - ATH from 275.94 euro (including taxes)
ATH - CMN - ATH from 276.51 euro (including taxes)
ATH - JED - ATH from 340 euro (including taxes)

Astra Airlines second BAe 146 registered SX-DIX

Last updated 22/5 17:30

Astra Airlines (AZI) will soon take delivery of a second BAe 146-300. It will be an ex Air Dolomiti plane, currently registered I-ADJF (c/n 3193). It is parked in EXT (Exeter, UK) and will be ferried to SEN (Southend, UK) today for painting in Astra colors. It is expected to arrive in Greece sometime next week.

Update 23:30
It's future registration might be SX-DIX and it's unsure if it will be painted to full Astra colors as the company needs it as soon as possible. If that's the case it is expected to have basic Air Dolomiti colors (without titles) and the Greek registration.

Update 20/5 11:30
It's confirmed that it's registration will be SX-DIX and it is in basic Air Dolomiti colors. It is scheduled to arrive to SKG (Thessaloniki, Greece) today at around 23:30L.

Update 22/5 17:20
The passenger cabin has a 3-3 configuration and a total of 99 seats with impressive seat pitch. Also added three photos of SX-DIX.

Update 5/6 17:30
Added a photo of the plane's first appearance in ATH

BAe 146 / SX-DIX / the second plane of Astra Airlines operating for Olympic Airlines

Thanks to Paddy Ballard for the following photo.

BAe 146 / SX-DIX / Just towed out of the Inflite hangar in Southend Airport on 20 May 2009

Thanks to Astra Airlines for the following two photos.

BAe 146 / SX-DIX / the -all economy- passenger cabin with 99 seats


BAe 146 / SX-DIX / dark green leather seat with impressive legroom

Athens Airways Bombardier Dash 8 9H-AFD in Athens

Last updated 12/5 21:40

Athens Airways will take delivery of a Bombardier Dash 8 Q300 ex Medavia 9H-AFD (c/n 458). The plane will arrive today at around 17:00L from MLA (Valleta, Malta). It is leased for 5 months and will start operations shortly.

Update 12/5
The plane is wet leased and started operations today morning. First flight to MJT (Mytilini, Greece). Added a photo of the plane's departure from MLA to ATH (last in the post) and a photo of the plane in Athens. The plane will not take a Greek registration.

Thanks to Alex for the photo.

Bombardier Dash 8 / 9H-AFD / taxiing in ATH for takeoff to MJT

Thanks to Aaron Benjamin for the following photos.

Bombardier Dash 8 / 9H-AFD / being towed back to Medavia facility at MLA after getting fuel


Bombardier Dash 8 / 9H-AFD / being towed back to Medavia facility at MLA


Bombardier Dash 8 / 9H-AFD / parked at Medavia facility at MLA


Bombardier Dash 8 / 9H-AFD / parked at Medavia facility at MLA

Thanks to Malcolm Bezzina for the following photo.

Bombardier Dash 8 / 9H-AFD / about to depart from MLA to ATH

Hellenic Imperial Airways Boeing 747-200 registered SX-TIC back in Athens

Hellenic Imperial Airways Boeing 747-200 registered SX-TIC arrived in ATH last night from CGK (Jakarta, Indonesia) where it was undergoing a C-Check at GMF-Aeroasia (see post). It is painted in the new revised HIA colors, like SX-TIE had when it returned from CGK. Boeing 747-200 registered SX-TID is still in CGK for it's C-Check (see post).

Air Sea Lines news

Last updated 20/5 00:10

It is currently unknown if Air Sea Lines will be operating this summer. The Twin Otter registered SX-GIK (c/n 768) will be flying for Harbour Air Malta on their summer schedule (currently it is in Medavia's hangar in Malta). It was ferried on 20/4/2009 from ACH (St. Gallen-Altenrhein, Switzerland), where it was undergoing maintenance, to OLB (Sardinia, Italy) and then to MLA (Valletta, Malta). The second Twin Otter registered SX-BVP (c/n 283) is currently in ACH for maintenance and the third one, registered SX-BMG (c/n 375), is parked at their base in Corfu expecting to be ferried for maintenance to ACH as well. A forth -all white- Twin Otter, registered C-FSHJ (c/n 691), was seen in CFU (Corfu, Greece) in April 2008. It was ferried to ACH for painting and maintenance but afterall the company decided not to use it and put it on sale. While in ACH, it had received the Greek registration SX-BXF but then was reregistered to D-IHAI. SX-GIK was on sale also, but it's unsure if it was bought from Harbour Air Malta or Air Sea Lines decided not to sell it and lease it to them.

Update 20/5/2009
Ex SX-GIK took it's maltese registration (9H-AFY) and temporary sticker titles of Harbour Air Malta. See photo at the end.

Thanks to Tino Dietsche (http://www.airpics4you.ch/) for the following three photos.

DHC-6 Twin Otter / SX-BXF / a few days only registration as it was undergoing maintenance in ACH


DHC-6 Twin Otter / SX-GIK / departing from ACH on it's way to OLB and then MLA


DHC-6 Twin Otter / SX-GIK / departing from ACH on it's way to OLB and then MLA

Thanks to Malcolm Bezzina for the following photos.

DHC-6 Twin Otter / SX-GIK / parked in MLA, waiting to have Harbour Air Malta titles and registration applied on it


DHC-6 Twin Otter / 9H-AFY / parked in MLA, having it's new registration and temporary Harbour Air Malta titles

Elite Airlines news

Elite Airlines first Boeing 747SR-81(F) registered SX-DCB is expected to arrive in Athens soon (possibly in the first half of May) from CGK (Jakarta, Indonesia) where it is currently undergoing heavy maintenance. Another two Boeing 747s (freighter versions) are expected to be added to the fleet in the future. The company will only operate charter cargo flights. No pax flights to be performed, as it's not in their business plan.

Qatar Airways increases Doha-Athens flights

Qatar Airways plans increased frequency for the Doha-Athens route, effective 25Oct2009 (when Winter Schedule is on).
Initially, the company plans 9 frequencies per week which will gradually increase to 11.

QR472 DOH0755 - 1150ATH 13457
QR472 DOH0755 - 1150ATH 26 (eff 01Dec)
QR476 DOH1335 - 1730ATH 2567

QR473 ATH1255 - 1750DOH 13457
QR473 ATH1255 - 1750DOH 26 (eff 01Dec)
QR477 ATH1830 - 2325DOH 2567

Service operates with A319/A320/A321