Hellas Jet
Encyclopedia
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 licenced 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 repossesion of two of their Airbus A320
aircraft, 87 and 88, was documented on Discovery channel TV program Airplane Repo.
subsidiary and the first flight was operated on 24 June 2003 from Athens. At the end of the first year of operation, they had completed 3,855 flights and carried over 250,000 passengers. Due to heavy losses, Hellas Jet suspended all scheduled flights from 10 May 2005. In January 2006, the airline announced it would refocus on charter operations. In August 2006, Cyprus Airways sold its shares to Air Miles, the trading name of Trans World Aviation. The aim is to resume services later in 2007 using wet lease
d Airbus A320
aircraft. It was wholly owned by Air Miles and had 50 employees (at March 2009).
Hellas Jet was an IATA Member.
As a charter airline, Hellas Jet operated charter flights to/from Heraklion
and Rhodes
, to St Petersburg, Moscow, Amsterdam, Düsseldorf, Paris etc.
One aircraft also flew from Dublin to holiday destinations in Spain on behalf of Trans Aer. Its fleet was available for both scheduled charters as well as ad-hoc charter flights.
When the company ceased scheduled services, the aircraft were re-configured in Malta to have a single class layout with 174 moquette-trimmed seats.
SX-BVB was destroyed by fire in Brussels in May 2006. The other two planes were returned to the lessor in June 2006 and subsequently BVA went to Thomas Cook Belgium, and BVC to Air Astana of Kazakhstan.
Then Hellas-Jet leased two other used A320s, this time with CFM engines. One came from LatCharter and the othe from USA2000, and they retained their colour schemes with Hellas Jet titles. A further A320 was acquired from LatCharter, registered SX-BVD, with LatCharter colours, but with Hellas Jet titles and the HellasJet logo on the engines.
In its final years, the Hellas Jet fleet consisted of the following aircraft (at 29 September 2009):
was destroyed in a fire in the Sabena Technics hangar at Brussels Airport
in Belgium
. The plane was one of the three Airbus A320
s destroyed, one belonging to Armavia
, one Armenian International Airways
, and 1 Lockheed C-130 owned by the Belgium Air Force.
Athens
Athens , is the capital and largest city of Greece. Athens dominates the Attica region and is one of the world's oldest cities, as its recorded history spans around 3,400 years. Classical Athens was a powerful city-state...
, Greece
Greece
Greece , officially the Hellenic Republic , and historically Hellas or the Republic of Greece in English, is a country in southeastern Europe....
, operating services to Greece from destinations in Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
. Its main base was Athens International Airport. Hellas Jet was a licenced 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 repossesion of two of their Airbus A320
Airbus A320
The Airbus A320 family is a family of short- to medium-range, narrow-body, commercial passenger jet airliners manufactured by Airbus Industrie.Airbus was originally a consortium of European aerospace companies, and is now fully owned by EADS. Airbus's name has been Airbus SAS since 2001...
aircraft, 87 and 88, was documented on Discovery channel TV program Airplane Repo.
History
The airline was started in 2002 as a Cyprus AirwaysCyprus Airways
Cyprus Airways is the national airline of Cyprus, a public limited company with its head offices located in the capital of the island, Nicosia. It operates scheduled services to 41 destinations in Europe, the Middle East and the Gulf. It flies from both airports of the island, Larnaca and Paphos,...
subsidiary and the first flight was operated on 24 June 2003 from Athens. At the end of the first year of operation, they had completed 3,855 flights and carried over 250,000 passengers. Due to heavy losses, Hellas Jet suspended all scheduled flights from 10 May 2005. In January 2006, the airline announced it would refocus on charter operations. In August 2006, Cyprus Airways sold its shares to Air Miles, the trading name of Trans World Aviation. The aim is to resume services later in 2007 using wet lease
Wet lease
Aircraft leases are a number of types of leases used by airlines and other aircraft operators. Airlines lease aircraft from other airlines or leasing companies for two main reasons; to operate aircraft without the financial burden of buying them, and to provide temporary increase in capacity...
d Airbus A320
Airbus A320
The Airbus A320 family is a family of short- to medium-range, narrow-body, commercial passenger jet airliners manufactured by Airbus Industrie.Airbus was originally a consortium of European aerospace companies, and is now fully owned by EADS. Airbus's name has been Airbus SAS since 2001...
aircraft. It was wholly owned by Air Miles and had 50 employees (at March 2009).
Destinations
As a scheduled airline, Hellas Jet initially operated two daily flights from Athens to Paris and Brussels,and a daily flight to London/Heathrow and Zurich. Later the Zurich flights were suspended due to low passenger numbers and were replaced by daily flights to London/Gatwick, while there was a slight reduction in the Paris and Brussels frequencies to enable two weekly flights from Athens to Manchester to operate. The weekend flights to Gatwick were transferred to Heathrow in 2005, although the mid-week flights were later suspended for most of the year, except for the busy Christmas and New Year period.As a charter airline, Hellas Jet operated charter flights to/from Heraklion
Heraklion
Heraklion, or Heraclion is the largest city and the administrative capital of the island of Crete, Greece. It is the 4th largest city in Greece....
and Rhodes
Rhodes
Rhodes is an island in Greece, located in the eastern Aegean Sea. It is the largest of the Dodecanese islands in terms of both land area and population, with a population of 117,007, and also the island group's historical capital. Administratively the island forms a separate municipality within...
, to St Petersburg, Moscow, Amsterdam, Düsseldorf, Paris etc.
One aircraft also flew from Dublin to holiday destinations in Spain on behalf of Trans Aer. Its fleet was available for both scheduled charters as well as ad-hoc charter flights.
Fleet
Hellas Jet commenced operations with a fleet of three Airbus A320-232 aircraft, registered SX-BVA, SX-BVB and SX-BVC, leased from CIT Aerospace. BVA was built in 1992, the other two were brand new. They had been acquired on three-year leases. Their initial configuration was for 148 passengers (16 business class and 132 economy class), all with leather seats.When the company ceased scheduled services, the aircraft were re-configured in Malta to have a single class layout with 174 moquette-trimmed seats.
SX-BVB was destroyed by fire in Brussels in May 2006. The other two planes were returned to the lessor in June 2006 and subsequently BVA went to Thomas Cook Belgium, and BVC to Air Astana of Kazakhstan.
Then Hellas-Jet leased two other used A320s, this time with CFM engines. One came from LatCharter and the othe from USA2000, and they retained their colour schemes with Hellas Jet titles. A further A320 was acquired from LatCharter, registered SX-BVD, with LatCharter colours, but with Hellas Jet titles and the HellasJet logo on the engines.
In its final years, the Hellas Jet fleet consisted of the following aircraft (at 29 September 2009):
- 2 × Airbus A320-212 reg. SX-BVK and SX-BVL, with CFM engines and full Hellas Jet livery.
- 4 × Fokker 50 for a subsidiary company named Hellas Aviation, acquired to operate domestic flights to the Greek Islands, but this company never actually commenced commercial operations and the Fokkers were sold.
Accidents and incidents
On 5 May 2006, a Hellas Jet Airbus A320Airbus A320
The Airbus A320 family is a family of short- to medium-range, narrow-body, commercial passenger jet airliners manufactured by Airbus Industrie.Airbus was originally a consortium of European aerospace companies, and is now fully owned by EADS. Airbus's name has been Airbus SAS since 2001...
was destroyed in a fire in the Sabena Technics hangar at Brussels Airport
Brussels Airport
Brussels Airport is an international airport northeast of Brussels, Belgium. The airport is partially in Zaventem and partially in the Diegem area of Machelen, both located in the Flemish Region of Belgium.Brussels Airport currently consists of 54 contact gates, and a total of 109 gates...
in Belgium
Belgium
Belgium , officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a federal state in Western Europe. It is a founding member of the European Union and hosts the EU's headquarters, and those of several other major international organisations such as NATO.Belgium is also a member of, or affiliated to, many...
. The plane was one of the three Airbus A320
Airbus A320
The Airbus A320 family is a family of short- to medium-range, narrow-body, commercial passenger jet airliners manufactured by Airbus Industrie.Airbus was originally a consortium of European aerospace companies, and is now fully owned by EADS. Airbus's name has been Airbus SAS since 2001...
s destroyed, one belonging to Armavia
Armavia
Air Company "Armavia" is an airline with its head office on the grounds of Zvartnots International Airport in Zvartnots, Armenia, near Yerevan. It operates international passenger services from Yerevan to destinations in Europe and Asia...
, one Armenian International Airways
Armenian International Airways
Armenian International Airways was a privately owned airline operating international passenger flights based from Zvartnots International Airport in Yerevan, Armenia.-History:...
, and 1 Lockheed C-130 owned by the Belgium Air Force.