JAL Boeing 747 registered JA8086 and White Airbus A310 registered CS-TKI in Athens

Two special visitors arrived in ATH yesterday evening on charter flights. The first one was a JAL - Japan Airlines Boeing 747 registered JA8086 that arrived from NRT (Narita, Japan), the first ever JAL airplane to land in ATH. The second was a White Airways Airbus A310 registered as CS-TKI arriving from LIS (Lisbon, Portugal).

Thanks to Vasilis for the video.

Boeing 747 / JA8086 / first time in ATH, landing on rwy 03L
Airbus A310 / CS-TKI / about to depart from runway 03L

Thanks to Alex for the photos.

Boeing 747 / JA8086 / departing from rwy 03R to NGO (Nagoya, Japan)


Airbus A310 / CS-TKI / taxiing in ATH after arrival on a charter flight from LIS

First Olympic Air Airbus A320 in full colors (VT-DNV)

Last updated 22/7/2009 02:00

The first Olympic Air Airbus A320 that is painted in the full company colors is an ex Air Deccan plane registered VT-DNV (c/n 3316).

Update 21/7/2009
It was ferried to SXF (Berlin, Germany) and will be reregistered to SX-OAH. Leased from Amentum Aircraft Leasing.

Update 22/7/2009
A picture from its arrival in SXF was added. See at the end of the post.

Thanks to Olympic Air (via George Pantalos) for the photo.

Airbus A320 / VT-DNV / parked in AUH (Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates) waiting to be ferried.

Thanks to Michael for the photo.

Airbus A320 / VT-DNV / taxiing in SXF, minutes after arrival from AUH

Athens Airways took delivery of the fourth ERJ-145 registered SX-CMD today

Last updated 19/7/2009 16:00

Athens Airways 4th Embraer ERJ-145 was delivered today from EXT (Exeter, UK) to ATH via CFU (Corfu, Greece) on a fuel stop. See the previous post for the delivery proccess history (see post).


Embraer ERJ-145 / SX-CMD / departing from CFU on a hard right turn

Update 17/7/2009 03:20
Added 2 photos of SX-CMD in EXT and CFU.

Thanks to Mike Lee for the photo.

Embraer ERJ-145 / SX-CMD / final preperations an hour before departure from EXT (photo 16/7/2009)

Thanks to Michael for the photo.

Embraer ERJ-145 / SX-CMD / first picture of this plane on Greek soil, on a fuel stop in CFU (photo 16/7/2009)


Update 19/7/2009
Added a photo of SX-CMD on the second day of scheduled fligths.


Embraer ERJ-145 / SX-CMD / about to land on rwy 03L on the second day of scheduled flights (photo 19/7/2009)

Second Airbus A319 for Olympic Air registered SX-OAF in full colors

The second Airbus A319 registered SX-OAF was painted in NWI (Norwich, UK) today. It is an ex Hamburg International plane registered D-AHIP (c/n 3895) and it was ferried from HAM (Hamburg, Germany) to NWI on 8/7/2009.

Thanks to Steve Mills for the photo.

Airbus A319 / SX-OAF / just pained in NWI (photo 15/7/2009)

First Airbus A319 registered SX-OAK in full Olympic Air colors

Last updated 14/7/2009 21:15

The first Airbus A319 for Olympic Air, registered SX-OAK, got painted in full company colors in SEN (Southend, UK) today. It was an ex Mandala Airlines plane registered PK-RMF (c/n 3317), built in November 2007. It was ferried from DXB (Dubai, United Arab Emirates) to SEN via MAN (Manchester, UK) and IOM (Isle of Man), registered as M-ABCK. It is leased by CIT Aerospace.
Thanks to Paddy Ballard - Southend Airport

Airbus A319 / SX-OAK / painted in full Olympic Air colors in SEN (Southend, UK) (photo 14/7/2009)

Update 14/7/2009 21:15
Added one more photo of the freshly painted SX-OAK in SEN and one of M-ABCK during it's departure from MAN on it's way to SEN, in order to be painted.
Thanks to Mike Cain for the photo.

Airbus A319 / SX-OAK / painted in full Olympic Air colors in SEN (Southend, UK), with the front right passenger and the aft cargo doors open (photo 14/7/2009)

Thanks to Dave Henderson for the photo.

Airbus A319 / M-ABCK / departing from MAN on its way to SEN in order to be painted (photo 2/7/2009)

Athens Airways to take delivery of the fourth ERJ-145 (SX-CMD)

Last updated 12/7/2009 19:30

Athens Airways is expected to take delivery of the fourth (out of 4 ordered) Embraer ERJ-145 next week. The plane is ex FlyBe G-EMBM (msn 145196) and is leased from Aircraft Solution ERJ-145 Llc. Its registered SX-CMD and its name is "Spiros Basileiou" (Σπύρος Βασιλείου).

A brief history on its delivery process:
ERJ-145 of FlyBe registered G-EMBM was parked since January 2009 in EXT (Exeter, UK).
On 24/5/2009 a ground power unit and a bowser were attached to the plane.
On 26/5/2009 it was towed in front of the maintenance hangar and later that day it did a test flight including some ILS approaches at EXT.
On 27/5/2009 it departed from EXT to LPAR (Alverca, Portugal) in order to have checks and maintenance at its engines.
On 25/6/2009, having completed the maintenance in Portugal, it arrived at NWI (Norwich, UK) for painting to full Athens Airways colors. (see photo below for -probably- the last shot of G-EMBM in FlyBe colors in NWI)
On 4/7/2009 the painting works were completed and it was ferried from NWI for EXT, using callsign ATW4010.
On 9/7/2009 its UK registration of G-EMBM was cancelled and was reregistered as SX-CMD (written on the plane but still has a sticker of G-EMBM over it)

It is expected to be ferried from EXT to ATH on 13/7/2009 (if no further delay is encountered during the deregistration proccess)
Thanks to John for many of the info above.

Thanks to Keith for the photo.

Embraer ERJ-145 / G-EMBM / being towed to spray area in NWI, minutes after its arrival from LPAR (Alverca, Portugal), in order to be painted to full Athens Airways colors (photo 26/5/2009)

Thanks to Mike Lee for the photo.

Embraer ERJ-145 / G-EMBM / parked in EXT in full Athens Airways colors but still with the old registration on a sticker over the SX-CMD, awaiting delivery to ATH next week (photo 10/7/2009)

Update 12/7/2009
Added another photo of G-EMBM in EXT waiting its delivery next week.

Thanks to Tim and John for the photo.

Embraer ERJ-145 / G-EMBM / parked in EXT in full Athens Airways colors waiting delivery to ATH next week (photo 10/7/2009)

Boeing 727 (VP-BAB), Boeing 737-200 (OD-LMB) and Airbus A320 (YL-BBC) in Athens today

Three special visitors for today in Athens:
1) A Boeing 727-76 registered VP-BAB
2) The second Boeing 737-200 of Flying Carpet (second ever time in Athens) registered OD-LMB
3) A hybrid A320 of Smartlynx registered YL-BBC, wearing LAT Charter colors with Hellas Jet logo on engine and Smartlynx titles


Boeing 727 / VP-BAB / departing from rwy 03R for LTN (photo 6/7/2009)


Boeing 737-200 / OD-LMB / departing from rwy 03R as MED802 (photo 6/7/2009)


Airbus A320 / YL-BBC / nice hybrid with a little of Smartlynx, Hellas Jet and LAT charter on it

Emirates reduces flights between Dubai and Athens

Effective 25OCT09 Emirates will reduce its flights between Athens and Dubai. It should be noted that the second daily flight was added only a few months ago.

The revised schedule is as follows :

EK105 DXB1005 - 1320ATH Operates Daily (1356 with 77W, 247 with 332)
EK103 DXB1730 - 2055ATH Operates 2357 (with 332)

EK106 ATH1550 - 2200DXB Operates Daily (1356 with 77W, 247 with 332)
EK104 ATH2225 -0440*DXB Operates 2357 (with 332)

Aegean Airlines A320 registered SX-DVW named "Nikos Kazantzakis"

Aegean Airlines Airbus A32o registered SX-DVW got it's name written on the nose. "Nikos Kazantzakis" was given to it at a ceremony in HER (Heraklion, Greece) on May 9th 2009 but wasn't written on the plane until the last couple of days.

Airbus A321 / SX-DVO / "Nikos Kazantzakis" name added

Sky Wings will take delivery of third MD-83 registered SX-BTM

Sky Wings is about to take delivery of their third MD-83 which will arrive from ARN (Stockholm, Sweden). Prior to Sky Wings, it was used by Primera Air registered as TF-JXC. It is scheduled to arrive in ATH under the TF-JXC registration (sticker over the Greek one) and will be reregistered to SX-BTM upon arrival. Since 22/6/2009 it was in a hangar in ARN being painted to Sky Wings colors. It is said that currenty no tail logo will be applied. It is configured in all economy class of 175 seats and will be based in RHO (Rhodes, Greece). Will be used mainly in routes to France, Italy and Belgium and will do night stops in HER (Heraklion, Greece), AOK (Karpathos, Greece) or ATH.
Thanks to Ola Carlsson (www.aviaction.net) for the following photo.

MD-83 / TF-JXC / in hangar at ARN having Sky Wings logo applied on the fuselage