Olympic Air

**

Olympic Airlines (ICAO: OAL) was the long-standing flag carrier airline of Greece, with a complex history marked by nationalization and privatization attempts. Its origins can be traced back to 1930 with Icarus, which, along with other Greek carriers, eventually merged into TAE Greek National Airlines. Facing financial difficulties, TAE closed in 1955. In 1957, Greek shipping magnate Aristotle Onassis acquired the airline, rebranding it as Olympic Airways on April 6, 1957, ushering in a "golden era" of luxurious travel. Following the death of his son, Onassis sold his shares to the Greek state in 1975, which then owned the airline. In 2003, the airline was rebranded as Olympic Airlines in an attempt to restructure and erase mounting debts. Despite various restructuring efforts and privatization attempts, Olympic Airlines ultimately ceased all operations on December 31, 2009, with most flights concluding on September 29, 2009. Its successor, Olympic Air, which also uses the ICAO code OAL, commenced operations shortly thereafter and is now a subsidiary of Aegean Airlines.

The airline's main operational base was Athens International Airport "Eleftherios Venizelos" from 2001, having previously operated from the old Athens–Ellinikon Airport. It also maintained hubs at Thessaloniki International Airport "Macedonia", Heraklion International Airport "Nikos Kazantzakis", and Rhodes International Airport "Diagoras", and had a base at London Heathrow Airport. Throughout its operational history, Olympic Airlines (and its predecessor Olympic Airways) operated a diverse fleet, including aircraft types such as the Douglas DC-3, DC-4, DC-6, de Havilland Comet 4B, Boeing 707, 720, 727, 737-200, 737-400, 747-200, Airbus A300 (B2/B4/605R), Airbus A340-300, NAMC YS-11, Learjet 25, Shorts SC7 Skyvan, ATR 72, ATR 42, and De Havilland Canada Dash 8-100.

Olympic Airlines served a comprehensive route network, reaching 37 domestic destinations and 32 international destinations worldwide. Notable international routes included non-stop services between Athens and New York City, and flights to Melbourne via Bangkok and Singapore, as well as routes extending to Africa and Canada. During its history, particularly under Onassis, Olympic Airways was renowned for its lavish services, featuring cabin crews in Pierre Cardin-designed uniforms, golden cutlery, and even pianists in the first-class cabin. The airline was notable for retaining smoking sections on board until April 2001. Olympic Airlines was not a member of any major global airline alliances like Star Alliance, SkyTeam, or Oneworld during its operation.