Monuments to the Onasis era of Olympic Airways
The Mount Olympus, an old Boeing 727 of Olympic Airways, which was founded by Greek shipping tycoon Aristotle Onassis in 1957, has been dismantled 24 years after it stopped flying so that it could be moved to its new home, on Vouliagmenis Avenue, a few meters from the Elliniko metro stop.
The decision by its new owner, Cypriot businessman Andreas Christodoulides, who bought it along with another Onassis Olympic Airways-era plane, which is now in Lavrio, where it is being restored, is to showcase an era of modern Greek history.
“These airplanes are historic for Greece and Hellenism, the Olympic airplanes should be remembered by the world and our children and our grandchildren,” he says.
His goal was to buy them for the public to view and appreciate. A great admirer of Onassis, Christodoulides said he bought the planes so that the Greeks would not forget – “so that the world remembers Elliniko [Athens’ former airport), Olympic and Onassis.”
“I feel proud of Greece… it is as if I have bought the Acropolis, and I am putting it somewhere for Hellenism to see.”
Christodoulides has for the last 18 years been the owner of Zela Aviation, while about two years ago, when he returned to Greece from London after 38 years, he founded its subsidiary, Zela Jets.
