JU068 From Serbia, joined Aug 2009, 2579 posts, RR: 6 Reply 1, posted (5 months 4 weeks 8 hours ago) and read 2494 times:
Well this time around there is Cyprus Airways which has launched some flights within Greece. This means that unlike the last time, in case these two airlines do merge, domestic Greek market will see competition.
mitris From United States of America, joined Oct 2012, 24 posts, RR: 0 Reply 4, posted (5 months 3 weeks 5 days 6 hours ago) and read 1888 times:
Quoting JU068 (Reply 1):
Well this time around there is Cyprus Airways which has launched some flights within Greece. This means that unlike the last time, in case these two airlines do merge, domestic Greek market will see competition.
Cyprus Airways as well as Sky Express and Astra Airlines.
Quoting FI642 (Reply 3): It would be nice to see the OA name survive, and fly to North America again.
One of the main reasons the two airlines are trying to merge is because of that. Eventually, they will restart flights to JFK and other North American destinations. A3 is already code-sharing with United for flights to Newark, and OA with delta to JFK. Hopefully it won't take too long for either A3 or OA to have their own machines flying to those destinations.
LJ From Netherlands, joined Nov 1999, 4141 posts, RR: 1 Reply 5, posted (5 months 3 weeks 4 days 20 hours ago) and read 1669 times:
Quoting mitris (Reply 4): One of the main reasons the two airlines are trying to merge is because of that. Eventually, they will restart flights to JFK and other North American destinations. A3 is already code-sharing with United for flights to Newark, and OA with delta to JFK.
I hope they're not serious about trying to serve North America from ATH. AFAIK both UA and DL don't serve ATH yearround, thus I think it's safe to conclude that there is currenty no market for TATL flights in the winter.
Burkhard From Germany, joined Nov 2006, 4248 posts, RR: 2 Reply 6, posted (5 months 3 weeks 4 days 19 hours ago) and read 1627 times:
Quoting LJ (Reply 5): I hope they're not serious about trying to serve North America from ATH. AFAIK both UA and DL don't serve ATH yearround, thus I think it's safe to conclude that there is currentky no market for TATL flights in the winter.
I agree that this would be the beginning of a common end. There are so many connections into any major US airport via FRA/CFG/LHR that there is no money to make having one or two direct connections.
OlympicATH From Greece, joined Jul 2001, 277 posts, RR: 0 Reply 7, posted (5 months 3 weeks 4 days 12 hours ago) and read 1433 times:
Quoting mitris (Reply 4): A3 is already code-sharing with United for flights to Newark, and OA with delta to JFK.
Quoting LJ (Reply 5): I hope they're not serious about trying to serve North America from ATH. AFAIK both UA and DL don't serve ATH yearround, thus I think it's safe to conclude that there is currenty no market for TATL flights in the winter.
United doesn't fly to Athens anymore, not even in the summer. The route was axed over a year ago.
Delta does fly to Athens but the route is now seasonal (and not even for the whole summer season). Not to mention that they don't fly ATL-ATH anymore (which was always seasonal btw).
While it's true that ATH is not a great market for long-haul, saying that there is no market at all in the winter is extreme. I believe this is the first time since the 60s that Athens doesn't have a year-round flight to New York. Olympic and TWA, then Delta, flew this year-round for decades.
ATLFlyer323 From United States of America, joined Jan 2005, 558 posts, RR: 0 Reply 8, posted (5 months 3 weeks 4 days 12 hours ago) and read 1405 times:
Quoting OlympicATH (Reply 7): While it's true that ATH is not a great market for long-haul, saying that there is no market at all in the winter is extreme. I believe this is the first time since the 60s that Athens doesn't have a year-round flight to New York. Olympic and TWA, then Delta, flew this year-round for decades.
While that may be the case, unfortunately you said what you needed to say first. ATH is not an ideal market for long haul, and with the current economic climate I don't see how A3 or OA could generate enough feed to support the flight. They should focus on profitability and the generation of jobs first, they can't afford to waste money on prestigious long haul flights that don't generate profits. Maybe once the economic climate looks better on both sides of the pond things will change.
mitris From United States of America, joined Oct 2012, 24 posts, RR: 0 Reply 10, posted (5 months 3 weeks 4 days 9 hours ago) and read 1308 times:
Quoting OlympicATH (Reply 7): Delta does fly to Athens but the route is now seasonal (and not even for the whole summer season). Not to mention that they don't fly ATL-ATH anymore (which was always seasonal btw).
And let's not forget US Airways from Philadelphia during the summer as well.
Quoting LJ (Reply 5): I hope they're not serious about trying to serve North America from ATH. AFAIK both UA and DL don't serve ATH yearround, thus I think it's safe to conclude that there is currenty no market for TATL flights in the winter.
As of now... But eventually year long direct flights to N. America will restart as soon as this economic mess gets some kind of control. Take example of Turkey. The country went bankrupt a few years ago (no wonder why they do not want to enter the EU anymore), and now Turkish Airlines are doing magnificent. A3 and OA are just taking initial steps.
As OlympicATH said "this is the first time since the 60s that Athens doesn't have a year-round flight to New York". It might take 5 or 10 years, but there's no way ATH will not have year long direct flights to the US and Canada.
Viscount724 From Switzerland, joined Oct 2006, 21464 posts, RR: 24 Reply 11, posted (5 months 3 weeks 3 days 17 hours ago) and read 908 times:
Quoting mayor (Reply 9): Quoting OlympicATH (Reply 7):
Olympic and TWA, then Delta, flew this year-round for decades.
And I imagine, PA, also.
No, PA never had traffic rights at ATH until the last few years of their existence (mid-1980s sometime). The bilateral only permitted one US carrier to Greece until then and the U.S. government assigned those rights to TWA.
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