Olympic Air startup flight schedule effective 29 September

Olympic Air, the new carrier established in Greece by Marfin Investment Group deployed today its startup schedule. Flights cover the period between 29Sep and 24Oct. The flight schedule for the winter season (effective 25Oct) will be announced through the company's new website. You can view the whole timetable here.

Routes that are abandoned are :
Domestic Network :
- Athens-Syros
- Athens-Kozani/Kastoria
- Thessaloniki-Rhodes (direct flight)
- Thessaloniki-Chania
- Thessaloniki-Heraklion
International Network :
- Thessaloniki-Istanbul
- From Athens to :
New York
Montreal/Toronto
Johannesburg
Kuwait/Dubai
Madrid
Manchester
Frankfurt
Munich
Dusseldorf
Stuttgart
Berlin
Moscow

The announced timetable requires at least 7 A319, 3 A320, 7 DH4 (one based at Thessaloniki Airport), 3 DH8 (1 based at Rhodes Airport) and 1 ATR42. It should be highlighted that the DH8s and the sole ATR will exclusively be used for PSO(Public Service Obligation) services.

There are also some flight numbering changes according to the following scheme :
- All PSO flights are renumbered (if different) between 000-099
- BEG renumbered from 385-388 to 397-398
- TIA renumbered from 117-118 to 317-318
- BEY renumbered from 313-314 to 463-464
- LCA renumbered from 329-338 to 431-438
- ALY renumbered from 327-328 to 487-488
- CAI renumbered from 325-326 to 485-486
- TLV renumbered from 301-302 to 451-452

Flybe to wet lease 4 Bombardier Dash 8 Q400 to Olympic Air

Last updated 17/6/2009 20:50

Flybe has agreed with Olympic Air to provide 4 Bombardier Dash 8 Q400 in the form of wet lease (aircrafts with pilots, cabin crew and engineering support) for the start up period of August 2009 until September 2010. The aircraft will be based in Athens and will operate under the Flybe's AOC. They are expected to return to Flybe at the end of the lease period.
The Flybe press release is as follows:

Press Information: June 17th 2009

FLYBE TIE-UP WITH OLYMPIC AIR ON REGIONAL FLIGHTS

Flybe, Europe’s largest and most successful regional airline, is delighted and proud to announce its support for the summer start-up of Greek airline, Olympic Air.

By providing Olympic Air with four Bombardier Q400 aircraft, with pilots, cabin crew and engineering support, the deal is yet more evidence of Flybe’s growing reputation as a quality provider of professional ‘turn-key’ solutions in the global aviation market.

The ‘wet lease’ arrangement is from August 2009 until September 2010, at which point, the aircraft will return to Flybe. Based in Athens, the aircraft will become part of the New Olympic business and, operating under the Flybe Airline Operating Certificate (AOC), will be fully crewed by Flybe pilots and cabin crew and maintained by Flybe engineers.

The deal, which was officially announced at the prestigious Paris Air Show is the latest in a line of innovations which have highlighted Flybe’s ability to not only ride out the recession but place it in a position where it will emerge stronger and more competitive when the upturn arrives.

In what is a major extension of the Flybe brand, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Jim French says: “The partnership with Olympic Air is an exciting development for Flybe. Following on from our Air Transport World Regional Airline of the Year award, this is a major extension of the Flybe brand and is a very important milestone in Flybe’s development.”

He adds: “The Flybe business model has been a great success over the last eight years and as a result I am proud that we will be one of the very few airlines likely to
announce a profit for the 2008-09 financial year.

“Over the past 18 months or so, Flybe has been offered literally dozens of opportunities to start up or support start-ups globally all of which, until this one, we have declined. Flybe’s senior management team is 100% convinced that this partnership with Olympic Air is a tremendous opportunity and dovetails perfectly with our brand. We look forward to it being a great success.”

Update 17/6/2009
It is yet unknown exactly which Flybe Dash 8 Q400s will be ferried to ATH but it is confirmed that all four of them will be re-branded with the Olympic Air logos etc.

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