 | |||||||
| |||||||
| Founded | May 2006 | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ceased operations | 2012 | ||||||
| AOC # | GR-025 [2] | ||||||
| Operating bases | Athens International Airport | ||||||
| Fleet size | 4 (at time of closure) | ||||||
| Headquarters | Ellinikon, Greece | ||||||
| Key people | Talal Abu Reyal, CEO | ||||||
| Website | hellenicairways.com | ||||||
Hellenic Imperial Airways was [3] an airline which had its head office in Ellinikon, South Athens, Greece. It operated charter and scheduled flights. [4] The company slogan was Your direct flight around the globe!
The airline was incorporated in May 2006 by a team of industry veterans and operated charter flights and aircraft leasing on an ACMI basis. The airline's head office was in Elliniko, South Athens. The United Kingdom offices were at the Axis House in Harlington, London Borough of Hillingdon. The South Africa offices were the Holiday House in Randburg, Johannesburg. [5]
The airline commenced scheduled operations on 30 May 2009 with services between Athens and Birmingham UK, Jeddah Saudi Arabia, and Casablanca Morocco.
Hellenic Imperial Airways launched its new website in April 2010 as a part of a promotional campaign for the company's new activities. The new website allowed customers to book services online and had live news feeds regarding flights and services. [6]
In early May 2010, Hellenic Imperial announced it was to begin scheduled services to Johannesburg's OR Tambo International Airport on 8 June 2010. These flights filled the gap left by Olympic Airlines when it ceased services to the airport the previous September. [7]
During the 2011 Libyan civil war Hellenic Imperial Airways operated charter services from Tripoli to Heraklion and from Heraklion directly to Bangkok, Shanghai, Beijing and Hanoi. In total the carrier evacuated 3,000 Chinese citizens from Libya via Greece. [8]
On 24 June 2011, Hellenic Imperial Airways inaugurated its first direct flight HT0411 from Athens to New York JFK operated by Boeing 747-200B as opposed to the planned Airbus A340-300. Pakistan International Airlines had leased two Boeing 747-200 during the Hajj 2011 for domestic operations within Pakistan.
At the end of 2011, Hellenic Imperial Airways suspended all of its scheduled flights. It operated very few charter flights in 2012; since then, the airline has suspended operations. Two of its Boeing 747-200B aircraft were abandoned at Athens International Airport while the remaining two were stored at Karachi and Jakarta.
In March 2015, former employees were granted the right by a Greek court to auction off for sale the remaining two 747s which were abandoned at Athens. Later that month the aircraft were to be ferried to Pakistan although in mid-flight the aircraft were diverted to Iran and entered into the Iran Air fleet. One of these airplanes is still stored at Athens International Airport.
Hellenic Imperial Airways served the following scheduled destinations:
Hellenic Imperial Airways operated charter services throughout Europe, the Middle East, Asia and the Americas along with ACIM and wet-lease operations.
The Hellenic Imperial Airways fleet consisted of the following aircraft:
Boeing 747-200B
Airbus A340-300
Airbus A321-200
The airline's failure to secure leases on the Airbus A340-300 aircraft saw the Boeing 747-200B operate services to New York JFK and a subsequent loss in operating revenues and eventual closure of the company. The Airbus A321 aircraft were to operate services to London, Kuwait, Dubai, Damascus, etc. The entire Boeing 747-200B fleet and all the airlines assets include offices in Athens were abandoned by 2012.
South African Airways (SAA) is the flag carrier of South Africa. Founded in 1934, the airline is headquartered in Airways Park at O. R. Tambo International Airport in Johannesburg and operates a hub-and-spoke network, serving 13 destinations in Africa and two intercontinental destinations to Perth, Australia and São Paulo, Brazil. The carrier joined Star Alliance in April 2006, making it the first African carrier to sign with one of the three major airline alliances.
China Airlines is the state-owned flag carrier of the Republic of China (Taiwan). It is one of Taiwan's two major airlines, along with EVA Air. It is headquartered in Taoyuan International Airport and operates over 1,400 flights weekly – including 91 pure cargo flights – to 102 cities across Asia, Europe, North America, and Oceania. Carrying nearly 20 million passengers and 5700 tons of cargo in 2017, the carrier was the 33rd largest airline in the world in terms of revenue passenger kilometers (RPK) and 10th largest in terms of freight revenue ton kilometers (FRTK).
Air Mauritius is the flag carrier airline of Mauritius. The airline is headquartered in Port Louis, Mauritius, with its hub at Sir Seewoosagur Ramgoolam International Airport.
Hewanorra International Airport, located near Vieux Fort Quarter, Saint Lucia, in the Caribbean, is the larger of Saint Lucia's two airports and is managed by the Saint Lucia Air and Seaports Authority (SLASPA). It is on the southern cape of the island, about 53.4 km (33.2 mi) from the capital city, Castries.
The Airbus A340 is a long-range, wide-body passenger airliner that was developed and produced by Airbus. In the mid-1970s, Airbus conceived several derivatives of the A300, its first airliner, and developed the A340 quadjet in parallel with the A330 twinjet. In June 1987, Airbus launched both designs with their first orders and the A340-300 took its maiden flight on 25 October 1991. It was certified along with the A340-200 on 22 December 1992 and both versions entered service in March 1993 with launch customers Lufthansa and Air France. The larger A340-500/600 were launched on 8 December 1997; the A340-600 flew for the first time on 23 April 2001 and entered service on 1 August 2002.
All Nippon Airways Co., Ltd. is a Japanese airline headquartered in Minato, Tokyo. ANA operates services to both domestic and international destinations and is Japan's largest airline, ahead of its main rival flag carrier Japan Airlines. As of April 2023, the airline has approximately 12,800 employees. The airline joined as a Star Alliance member in October 1999.
Kuwait Airways is the flag carrier of Kuwait, with its head office on the grounds of Kuwait International Airport, Al Farwaniyah Governorate. It operates scheduled international services throughout the Middle East, to the Indian subcontinent, Europe, Southeast Asia and North America, from its main base at Kuwait International Airport.
Air Namibia (Pty) Limited, which traded as Air Namibia, was the national airline of Namibia, headquartered in the country's capital, Windhoek. It operated scheduled domestic, regional, and international passenger and cargo services, having its international hub in Windhoek Hosea Kutako International Airport and a domestic hub at the smaller Windhoek Eros Airport. As of December 2013, the carrier was wholly owned by the Namibian government. Air Namibia was a member of both the International Air Transport Association and the African Airlines Association.
Olympic Airlines, formerly named Olympic Airways, was the flag carrier airline of Greece. The airline's head office was located in Athens. The airline operated services to 37 domestic destinations and to 32 destinations worldwide. The airline's main base was at Athens International Airport, "Eleftherios Venizelos", with hubs at Thessaloniki International Airport, "Macedonia", Heraklion International Airport, "Nikos Kazantzakis" and Rhodes International Airport, "Diagoras". Olympic Airlines also owned a base at London Heathrow Airport. By December 2007, the airline employed about 8,500 staff.
Middle East Airlines – Air Liban S.A.L., more commonly known as Middle East Airlines (MEA), is the flag carrier of Lebanon, with its head office in Beirut, near Beirut–Rafic Hariri International Airport. It operates scheduled international flights to Asia, Europe, the Middle East, and Africa from its base at Rafic Hariri International Airport.
Madagascar Airlines is an airline based in Antananarivo, Madagascar. It is the flag carrier of Madagascar; it operates services to Europe, Asia and neighbouring African and Indian Ocean island destinations, from its main base, Ivato International Airport in Antananarivo. It also operates an extensive domestic network.
Aegean Airlines S.A. is the flag carrier of Greece and the largest Greek airline by total number of passengers carried, by number of destinations served, and by fleet size. A Star Alliance member since June 2010, it operates scheduled and charter services from Athens and Thessaloniki to other major Greek, European and Middle Eastern destinations. Its main hubs are Athens International Airport in Athens, Macedonia International Airport in Thessaloniki and Larnaca International Airport in Cyprus. It also uses other Greek airports as bases, some of which are seasonal. It has its head office in Kifisia, a suburb of Athens.
Hellas Jet was a charter airline based in Athens, Greece, operating services to Greece from destinations in Europe. Its main base was Athens International Airport. Hellas Jet was a licensed scheduled and charter carrier, holding a JAA AOC and a Line Maintenance Certificate under JAA/EASA Part 145, both approved by the Hellenic Civil Aviation Authority. It ceased operations in 2010 due to economic difficulties. The repossession of two of their Airbus A320 aircraft, 87 and 88, was documented on Discovery channel TV programme Airplane Repo. The company slogan was More than a flight.
European Aviation Air Charter was an airline based in Bournemouth, United Kingdom. It operated ad hoc charter services, VIP flights, and inclusive-tour and sub-charter flights, as well as ACMI wet leases for other airlines. Its main base was Bournemouth Airport. The company went into administration on Tuesday 2 December 2008.
Surinam Airways, also known by its initials SLM, is the flag carrier of Suriname, based in Paramaribo. It operates regional and long-haul scheduled passenger services. Its hub is at Johan Adolf Pengel International Airport (Zanderij). Surinam Airways is wholly owned by the Government of Suriname.
Air transports for heads of state and government are, in many countries, provided by the air force in specially equipped airliners or business jets. One such aircraft in particular has become part of popular culture: Air Force One, used by the President of the United States and operated by the United States Air Force. Other well-known official aircraft include the Russian presidential aircraft, the British Royal Air Force VIP aircraft, the French Cotam 001, the Royal Canadian Air Force VIP aircraft, the German Konrad Adenauer, the Royal Australian Airforce VIP aircraft, the Japanese Air Force One, the South Korean Code One, the Indian Air India One, the Brazilian Air Force One, and the Israeli Wing of Zion.
SKY Express, is a Greek airline headquartered in Heraklion International Airport. It was established in 2005 and operates a number of flights, serving 35 domestic and eight international destinations.
First class is a travel class on some passenger airliners intended to be more luxurious than business class, premium economy, and economy class. Originally all planes offered only one class of service, with a second class appearing first in 1955 when TWA introduced two different types of service on its Super Constellations.
Virgin Atlantic operates a fleet consisting exclusively of wide-body twinjet aircraft from both Airbus and Boeing.
Olympus Airways is a Greek charter airline offering ACMI-leasing, charter and ad-hoc flights headquartered in Agia Paraskevi. The airline was declared bankrupt in 2024.
Media related to Hellenic Imperial Airways at Wikimedia Commons
