Sky Express (Greece)

The airline was established in early 2005 by 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.{{cite web|title=Profile|url=http://www.skyexpress.gr/profile.asp|website=skyexpress.gr|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20110723232214/http://www.skyexpress.gr/profile.asp|archivedate=23 July 2011}} Operations commenced in July 2005,{{cite web|title=Sky Express|url=http://airlinesxl.com/europe/greece/sky_express.html|website=airlinesxl.com|accessdate=7 June 2015}} 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|date=June 2015}}

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.{{Cite web|title=SKY express orders four A320neo and becomes a new Airbus customer |url=https://www.airbus.com/newsroom/press-releases/en/2020/10/sky-express-orders-four-a320neo-and-becomes-a-new-airbus-customer.html |access-date=2021-02-15|website=Airbus|language=en}}

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,{{cite web |url=http://www.skyexpress.gr/pr-20-07-2007.asp |script-title=el:ΔΕΛΤΙΟ ΤΥΠΟΥ |date=25 May 2007 |language=Greek |publisher=www.skyexpress.gr |accessdate=9 October 2011 |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20110723231319/http://www.skyexpress.gr/pr-20-07-2007.asp |archivedate=23 July 2011 |title=Sky Express S.A. }} but changed the logo nonetheless to avoid any further confusion.{{citation needed|date=October 2019}}

In 2018, Sky Express carried 1 million passengers for the first time.{{Cite web |url=https://www.businessnews.gr/el/epixeiriseis/epixeiriseis/sky-express-diplasiase-toys-epivates-tis-2018.html |title=Sky Express Diplasiase Toys Epivates Tis |access-date=2019-10-31 |archive-date=2019-10-31 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191031230007/https://www.businessnews.gr/el/epixeiriseis/epixeiriseis/sky-express-diplasiase-toys-epivates-tis-2018.html |url-status=dead }}

{{As of|2024|11}}, Greek carrier Sky Express flies (or has flown) to the following destinations:{{cite web|url=https://www.skyexpress.gr/en/discover/route-map| title=Sky Express Route Map September 2023}}

Sky Express interlines with the following airlines:

{{div col|colwidth=17em}}

• Air France{{Cite news|url=https://www.airfranceklm.com/en/new-agreement-between-air-france-klm-and-sky-express|title = New agreement between Air France, KLM and Sky Express| newspaper=Air France KLM |date=5 April 2019}}
• Air Serbia{{Cite web|url=https://www.exyuaviation.com/2021/07/sky-express-and-air-serbia-ink-deal.html|title = Sky Express and Air Serbia ink deal| date=30 July 2021 }}
• Air Transat{{Cite web|url=https://www.skyexpress.gr/el/news/new-partnership-with-canadian-airline-air-transat|title = Sky Express and Air Transat ink deal}}
• American Airlines{{Cite web|url=https://www.skyexpress.gr/en/news/cooperation-with-american-airlines|title = Sky Express and American Airlines ink deal}}
• British Airways{{Cite web|url=https://www.skyexpress.gr/en/news/partnership-with-british-airways-and-etihad-airways|title = Partnership with the leading airlines British Airways and Etihad Airways!}}
• Condor{{citation needed|date=June 2024}}
• Cyprus Airways{{citation needed|date=June 2024}}
• Delta Air Lines{{cite news | url=https://news.delta.com/delta-partners-sky-express-offer-more-travel-options-between-us-and-greek-islands | title=Delta partners with SKY express to offer more travel options between the US and Greek Islands | newspaper=Delta News Hub }}
• El Al{{Cite web|url=https://www.skyexpress.gr/en/news/cooperation-with-el-al-airlines|title = Cooperation with El AL}}
• EasyJet{{Cite web|url=https://www.skyexpress.gr/en/news/new-cooperation-for-sky-express-with-the-growing-network-of-easy-jet|title = EasyJet, another travel buddy joins the club!}}
• Emirates{{Cite web|url=https://www.skyexpress.gr/en/news/strategic-partnership-with-emirates|title = Cooperation with Emirates}}
• Etihad Airways
• KLM
• Middle East Airlines{{Cite web|url=https://www.skyexpress.gr/en/news/the-cooperation-with-middle-east-airlines-continues|title=The cooperation with Middle East Airlines continues|access-date=2022-10-26}}
• Qatar Airways{{Cite web|url=https://m.naftemporiki.gr/story/1528659/sumfonia-diasundesis-metaksuqatar-airways-kai-sky-express|title = Συμφωνία Διασύνδεσης μεταξύ Qatar Airways και Sky Express| date=2 November 2022 }}
• Royal Jordanian{{Cite web|url=https://www.skyexpress.gr/en/news/starts-of-cooperation-with-royal-jordanian|title = Starts of Cooperation with Royal Jordanian}}
• Transavia{{Cite web|url=https://www.skyexpress.gr/en/news/cooperation-with-transavia|title = Cooperation with Transavia}}
• Turkish Airlines{{citation needed|date=June 2024}}

{{div col end}}

File:Hannover_Airport_SKY_express_Airbus_A320-251N_SX-TEC_(DSC00385).jpg]]

File:Sky Express (Greece) ATR 72-500 (SX-FIV) @ HER, Sept 2019.jpg]]

File:British Aerospace Jetstream 41, Sky Express JP6938510.jpg in 2010.]]

{{As of|2024|04}}, Sky Express operates the following aircraft:{{Cite web |title=Our Fleet |url=https://www.skyexpress.gr/en/company/sky-fleet |access-date=2021-06-09 |website=SKY express}}

In the past, Sky Express also operated the following types:

• ATR 42-300{{citation needed|date=May 2023}}
• ATR 72-500{{citation needed|date=July 2024}}
• BAe Jetstream 41{{citation needed|date=May 2023}}
• Boeing 747-200{{cite web | url=https://www.airfleets.net/ficheapp/plane-b747-21575.htm | title=Airfleets aviation }}
• McDonnell Douglas MD-83{{citation needed|date=May 2023}}

• On 12 February 2009, a BAe Jetstream 31 registered SX-SKY experienced a right main gear collapse after landing inbound from Rhodes International Airport.{{cite web |url=http://www.avherald.com/h?article=4150a2f9&opt=4096 |title=Accident: Sky Express JS31 at Heraklion on Feb 12th 2009, right main gear collapsed on landing |date=15 February 2009 |publisher=www.avherald.com |accessdate=19 April 2011}} None of the 15 passengers or three crew members were injured, but the aircraft suffered considerable damage to its right landing gear, wing and propeller. The aircraft was deemed beyond economical repair and was written off.{{citation needed|date=November 2010}} The accident was caused by two previous hard landings (out of the previous 27) which had gone unreported. One of the hard landings had caused a fracture in a landing gear cylinder, which spread until the cylinder failed, causing the landing gear to collapse. The aircraft was scrapped at Heraklion Airport in late February 2011.
• On 2 February 2015, a BAe Jetstream 41 aircraft registered SX-DIA, operating flight GQ-100 from Heraklion, experienced a left main gear collapse and runway excursion after a hard landing at Rhodes Diagoras Airport caused by strong winds. None of the 16 passengers or three crew members were injured. The aircraft suffered substantial damage.{{cite web |url=http://avherald.com/h?article=48130f84&opt=0 |title=Accident: Sky Express JS41 at Rhodes on Feb 2nd 2015, gear collapse and runway excursion on landing |date=2 February 2015 |publisher=www.avherald.com |accessdate=2 February 2015}}
• On 21 June 2019, the 3 PM flight from Heraklion to Rhodes Diagoras Airport performed an emergency landing at Karpathos Airport after one of the engines exploded. None of the 47 passengers suffered any injuries.{{Cite web|url=https://www.protothema.gr/greece/article/901698/aeroplano-me-46-atoma-pragmatopoiise-anagastiki-prosgeiosi-stin-karpatho/|title=Αναγκαστική προσγείωση στην Κάρπαθο για αεροπλάνο με 46 επιβάτες|date=2019-06-21|website=ProtoThema|language=el|access-date=2019-06-21}}{{Cite web|url=http://www.kathimerini.gr/1030142/article/epikairothta/ellada/anagkastikh-prosgeiwsh-aeroskafoys-sthn-karpa8o---ekteloyse-to-dromologio-hrakleio--rodo|title=Αναγκαστική προσγείωση αεροσκάφους στην Κάρπαθο - Εκτελούσε το δρομολόγιο Ηράκλειο – Ρόδο {{!}} Kathimerini|website=www.kathimerini.gr|date=21 June 2019 |access-date=2019-06-21}}

{{reflist}}

{{commons category-inline|Sky Express (Greece)|Sky Express}}

• {{official website|www.skyexpress.gr}}
• [http://www.airfleets.net/flottecie/Sky%20Express%20Greece.htm Sky Express fleet from airfleets.net]
• [http://www.ch-aviation.com/portal/airline/SHE Sky Express (Greece) on ch-aviation.com]
• [http://www.aaiasb.gr/imagies/stories/documents/08_2010_report_EN.pdf Report no 08 / 2009 on SX-SKY by the Air Accident Investigation & Aviation Safety Board]
• [https://www.aaiasb.gr/imagies/stories/documents/03_2018_Report_EN.pdf Report no 03 / 2018 on SX-DIA by the Air Accident Investigation & Aviation Safety Board]

{{Portalbar|Greece|Companies|Aviation}}

{{Airlines of Greece}}

Category:Airlines established in 2005

Category:Airlines of Greece

Category:Greek companies established in 2005