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Airline of Greece From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
SKY Express (legally Cretan Aviation Operations Aviation and Commercial Societe Anonyme (Greek: Κρητικές Αεροπορικές Εκμεταλλεύσεις Αεροπορική και Εμπορική Ανώνυμη Εταιρεία)),[2] is a Greek airline headquartered in Heraklion International Airport.[2] It was established in 2005[6] and operates a number of flights, serving 35 domestic and eight international destinations.[7]
The airline was established in early 2005 by Cpt. Miltiadis Tsagkarakis, former Olympic Airlines director general and pilot, and George Mavrantonakis, former Olympic Airlines chief operating officer and accountable manager as well as advisor to the company president.[8] Operations commenced in July 2005,[9] including scheduled, charter, cargo, air taxi, emergency medical services, excursion and sightseeing flights. Sky Express Aircargo was later established as a joint venture with the Finaval Group and dedicated to cargo transport between Europe and the Far East.[citation needed]
In October 2020, the airline placed a firm order for four Airbus A320neo aircraft (the fleet now includes six of them). In addition, the company introduced a new design for their new Airbus aircraft.[10]
The airline's initial logo was inspired by the flag of the Cretan State, a semi-independent state under the Ottoman Empire. The flag of the Cretan State was composed of a white cross extending to the edges of the flag, with the upper-hoist canton in red, featuring a white star symbolizing Ottoman sovereignty on the island, and the other squares in blue, symbolizing the Greeks of Crete. The flag has also been adopted as a symbol of the Cretan independence pseudo-movement. The logo was not well-received, and following complaints by the public in Greece, especially Cretans, the logo was changed. The company said it did not consider the flag offensive, since it represented a milestone in the unification of Crete with the Kingdom of Greece,[11] but changed the logo nonetheless to avoid any further confusion.[citation needed]
In 2018, Sky Express carried 1 million passengers for the first time.[12]
| 2015 | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Turnover (€m) | 16.299 | 16.616 | 34.068 | 61.475 | 81.340 | 54.940 | 137.569 | 287.690 | |
| Net profit after tax (€m) | 0.169 | −1.391 | −0.156 | 0.304 | −0.250 | −7.655 | −3.793 | −1.421 | |
| Number of employees | 77 | 86 | 129 | 193 | 229 | 263 | 462 | 577 | |
| Number of passengers | 85,174 | 168,116 | 496,562 | 1,000,000 | 1,200,000 | TBA | 1,717,191 | 3,303,997 | |
| Number of aircraft (at year end) | 6 | 11 | 11 | 11 | 11 | 20 | 18 | 21 | |
| Notes/sources | [13] | [14] | [15] | [16] | [17] | [18] | [19][20] | [20] |
As of July 2024[update], Greek carrier Sky Express flies (or has flown) to the following destinations:[21]
Sky Express interlines with the following airlines:
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As of April 2024[update], Sky Express operates the following aircraft:[43]
| Aircraft | In service | Orders | Passengers | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Airbus A320-200 | 1 | — | 180 | [citation needed] |
| Airbus A320neo | 10 | 2 | 186 / 180 / 174 | [44][45][46] |
| Airbus A321neo | 2 | — | 236 | [47] |
| ATR 42-500 | 4 | — | 48 | |
| ATR 72-600 | 10 | — | 72 | [48] |
| Total | 27 | 2 |
In the past, Sky Express also operated the following types:
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