SX-OAO and SX-OAN delivered to Olympic Air

At 00:01 on Tuesday next, September 29, Olympic Airlines will be liquidated and it's operations will be transferred to Olympic Air, thus ending 35 years of state ownership of Greece's national airline. In March of this year the Greek government announced that it had reached an agreement to sell the flight operations and technical support of Olympic Airlines to the Marfin Investment Group. The announcement was the culmination of the Greek government's attempts over a ten year period to return the company to private ownership. In recent months the new Olympic fleet has been assembled in various locations throughout Europe in preparation for next week's launch. Two of the aircraft in the new fleet SX-OAO and SX-OAN were sourced from Privatair's German subsidiary and prepared by Shannon Aerospace for their new operations. A third aircraft SX-OAJ was sourced from Airbus after Mexicana backed out of an aircraft order. All three aircraft were painted in Shannon, OAJ at the Lufthansa paint hangar and OAO and OAN at Shannon Aerospace. 
Over the past two days a total of 8 aircraft - six A319 from Southend, Norwich and Shannon and two A320 from Berlin have been delivered to Athens in preparation for next week's launch. It was originally intended that SX-OAOA and SX-OAN would depart Shannon on Thursday but SX-OAN developed a snag and was delivered today, Friday. 
Seen above in the copyright pictures by Constantinos Mark Zervos (Athens Airport Blog) are at top, A319 SX-OAN on arrival from Shannon today and at bottom the line up on taxiway 'B' at Athens, LGAV, of SX-OAO, OAG, OAH, OAF and OAR, SX-OAO having been delivered from Shannon on Thursday. 

Privatair Germany's D-APAC becomes SX-OAN

Privatair Germany's A319-123LR which was registered D-APAC has emerged form the Shannon Aerospace hangars in it's new identity - SX-OAN of Olympic Air. The aircraft, msn 1727 arrived in Shannon on July 29 last to be prepped for it's new operator. As D-APAC the aircraft was configured with an executive interior and long range fuel tanks, both of which will have been replaced in preparation for conventional airline operations.

SX-OAJ makes early morning departure

Catching some off guard, Olympic Air's A319 registered SX-OAJ departed Shannon for Athens at approximately 08.15L this morning. The aircraft, msn 3905 had been rolled out of the Lufthansa Shannon Paint hangar yesterday. Pictured above in the copyright picture by Malcolm Nason, SX-OAJ is seen shortly after roll out. Curiously the aircraft used flight number AEE 001 on it's transponder on departure from Shannon. Either Olympic are poaching Airbus pilots from Aegean or else Aegean's AOC was used for the ferry to Athens !

A picture of SX-OAJ landing at Athens can be found at SX-OAJ

D-APAD arrives in Shannon for Olympic Air

Privatair Germany A319-133LR registered D-APAD arrived in Shannon today to be prepared for delivery to Olympic Aviation. The aircraft, msn 1880 had been painted all white in Maastricht within the last week. A total of 7 A319, 6 A320 and 12 DHC-8 aircraft are at present being assembled at various MRO bases throughout Europe in preparation for the launch of Olympic Air by October 1.

Two former Privatair Germany A319 aircraft are currently at Shannon Aerospace : D-APAC, msn 1727 which will become SX-OAN and today's arrival D-APAD which will become SX-OAO. In addition A319 SX-OAJ, msn 3905 appeared from the Lufthansa Paint facility at Shannon today having shed it's Mexicana paintwork.

Pictured above, D-APAD taxis on R24 towards the Shannon Aerospace hangar on it's arrival from Maastricht.

SX-OAJ arrives in Shannon for paint

It was certainly a rare combination - an Airbus A319 in full Mexicana titles with a Greek registration. That wasn't the rare bit - the rare bit was that the sun shone in Shannon when it landed ! Olympic Air's new fleet acquisitions are growing apace with several aircraft scattered throughout Europe being painted in readiness to enter service with the newly revitalised Greek carrier which carries the legacy of the original 'Olympic' name. This evening, A319-112, msn 3905 and registered SX-OAJ arrived from Hamburg to be painted in Olympic Air's colours at the Lufthansa Shannon Paint facility. The aircraft was originally ordered by Mexicana and would have been registered XA-MXR, had it been delivered but now wears Greek registration SX-OAJ. The aircraft carries hex code 46BC2A and is seen above on finals to R24.