Aegean today marks today 25 years of dynamic progress and celebrates with its passengers, its people, and all those who have contributed to its development, realizing the vision of its founder, Theodoros Vassilakis, to create a Greek airline that will travel Greek culture and its passengers with safety, consistency, and quality everywhere, in Greece and abroad.
Starting in 1999 with just two aircraft, through the systematic effort of its people, the support of its shareholders, and, above all, the trust of its passengers, despite the successive crises and challenges that characterize the industry, Aegean is today one of the most successful and steadily growing companies in the European aviation market.
During its 25 years of operation, the stations that have played a key role in its development stand out, the most important being: Aegean's listing on the Athens Stock Exchange, its participation in the largest global airline alliance, Star Alliance, the acquisition of Olympic Air, the order of 46 Airbus A320 Neo family aircraft, the largest private investment in Greece, which has recently increased to 50 aircraft, and the creation of the first modern Flight Simulation and Crew Training Centre in Greece, in one of the first green hangars in Europe, at Athens International Airport. An investment with a positive impact, both for the company and the country. Recently, it has embarked on a next major growth cycle with the order of four new A321neo LR aircraft that will cover distances of up to 7.5 hours, from Greece to the Gulf regions, India, and Central Africa, allowing AEGEAN crews to offer passengers a new level of comfort and service to distant, non-EU destinations.
Along the way, Aegean has preserved the values and valuable experience of its first generation of people while systematically investing in the development and perspective of the younger generation and, with them, in the sustainable future of the air transport industry in Greece.
Aegean now employs more than 3,700 employees and operates 76 aircraft to 156 destinations with 249 direct routes to 47 countries, constantly strengthening its network, both domestically and internationally, and providing a unique travel experience to its passengers, inextricably linked to Greek hospitality. In 2023 alone, Aegean offered 18.5 million seats, up by 3.1 million compared to 2022, while carrying 15.5 million passengers, up by 3.2 million, achieving a 26% increase compared to the previous year and setting a new all-time high.
Mr. Evtichios Vassilakis, President of Aegean, said: "25 years since our first flight, the circumstances, sizes, and challenges are very different, but the goal remains constant. To strive to offer every day, every year, something more, something different to our passengers, enhancing their journey and honouring their choice of us. I believe that Theodoros Vassilakis' vision of quality and reliability is now deeply embedded in the culture of all our people. As we move on to our next chapter, the challenge for our new generation of executives, a much larger team with exceptional potential, is innovation and competitiveness for the new conditions, freshness alongside consistency in our core values, and of course staying committed to our growth, which contributes to Greece's image and competitive advantage. Thank you for choosing us every day.".
Dimitrios Gerogiannis, CEO, said. Thank you for the warmth, respect, and smile with which you face our crews and staff on our aircraft, at our ticket counters, in our lounges, in our call centre, and in our airports, where you meet us on your journeys and where you enjoy our services. The services that we want to offer you with the same passion, professionalism, quality, commitment to excellence, and humanity that we have been offering you since our first flight. For 25 years, every day, on every flight, we strive to offer a quality product safely and consistently that meets your expectations and the culture of hospitality that is in our DNA. If we have managed to achieve this to date, it is entirely due to the dedication, consistency, ethos, and passion of our people. All those who have worked to put Aegean in the hearts of its passengers, and all those who are working today or will work tomorrow to plan and lead Aegean into the next cycle of growth. To design and deliver an even better travel experience on an even bigger network. In the environment in which we operate, competition is fierce, and challenges in the industry are constant. The next day finds us standing firmly on our feet, but always with the same passion, ambition, and vision as 25 years ago, to take Aegean even further and to continue to earn your preference."
