With a tearfull, emotional, internal event, AEGEAN and OLYMPIC AIR said goodbye to the last Q400 type aircraft in its fleet. The farewell came as the program to replace them with the new ATR 72 and ATR 42 aircraft was completed in the summer.
At the company’s technical base, pilots, cabin staff, engineers and management said goodbye on Friday night to the aircraft – and with it this particular type of helicopter – recalling experiences, incidents and even jokes from the flights it carried out in all the previous years.
Tribute to the Q400 aircraft
The Q400s were acquired by Olympic Air in 2009 and with its acquisition by AEGEAN in 2013 joined its fleet. Recognized for their high speed, strong operational performance and cabin comfort, the Q400 aircraft gathered characteristics and properties of jet aircraft despite being propeller-driven (speed, reduced noise, cabin comfort) and met the operational needs of the network and of the company’s strategy at the time.
They operated mainly in short or medium-haul international flights, i.e. in markets in which the company was just starting to enter, but also of course in domestic flights. Today, the company serves most of these foreign markets with the AIRBUS 320 and 321, indicative of the development of passenger traffic and the penetration of the company in these countries.
The specific Q400 also offered an important social project as, in the context of the company’s cooperation with EKAV, it transported passengers in medical emergencies last year.
The Q400 fleet began to be gradually replaced from early 2022 and was completed by summer 2022, with the last aircraft leaving the company in the coming days.
Welcome, ATR
Today the fleet of Olympic Air and AEGEAN helicopters has 14 ATR-600 type aircraft, the first of which have joined the company as early as 2016 in order to mainly serve the needs of small airports. However, from the beginning of 2022 the company proceeded to gradually increase the number of aircraft of this type, replacing the Q400s, and including them in the overall program of replacement and upgrading of its fleet that has started in 2018 starting with the large order of 46 AIRBUS 320 and 321 neo.
ATRs respond much better to the operational challenges of Greek airports and also to the short flights of the domestic network while they are used by more than 200 airlines worldwide on flights of corresponding distances and characteristics.
The ATRs are estimated to have a 25 to 30% lower CO2 footprint than the Q400s, helping to further reduce the company’s environmental footprint and commitment to more sustainable, greener flights, while being certified for to use sustainable aviation fuel (Sustainable Aviation Fuel, SAF). Finally, ATRs have improved engines, modern navigation systems, more available cabin space for the passenger while also ensuring lower operating and maintenance costs.
