Post by Humberside on Oct 3, 2012 19:49:48 GMT
Olympic Holidays has reassured agents there will be no disruption to its flying programme after ending its contract with Strategic Airlines before the end of the 2012 season.
The Eastern Mediterranean specialist confirmed to Travel Weekly it took the decision in the last few days after negotiations with Strategic over recent months.
Photis Lambrianides, Olympic’s commercial director, said the change did not affect many flights, it being close to the end of the season, and all outstanding departures have been covered.
Strategic, which operates three aircraft in the UK, flew a small proportion of Olympic’s programme from Manchester, Gatwick and Birmingham to the Greek islands and Cyprus.
Lambrianides said: “We have moved away from Strategic because of various concerns which to their credit they have been talking to us about over the last couple of months.
“We have replaced everything without any disruption to the programme with most of the flights sticking to the original timings.
“We are a serious tour operator and we decided it was in the best interests of our customers that we did this rather than wait and see what happens.”
Lambrianides said the flying programme had been replaced by carriers from Europe including Italian airline Livingston Air, Czech carrier Travel Services and Aegean Airlines.
Travel Weekly reported in March that Strategic Airlines, which was officially registered in Luxemburg, was 49% owned by Air Australia which went into administration in February.
The other 59% was found to be owned by the failed carrier’s former boss David Lake, a British citizen who had been chief executive of Strategic Airlines Pty, Air Australia’s parent in Australia.
The Eastern Mediterranean specialist confirmed to Travel Weekly it took the decision in the last few days after negotiations with Strategic over recent months.
Photis Lambrianides, Olympic’s commercial director, said the change did not affect many flights, it being close to the end of the season, and all outstanding departures have been covered.
Strategic, which operates three aircraft in the UK, flew a small proportion of Olympic’s programme from Manchester, Gatwick and Birmingham to the Greek islands and Cyprus.
Lambrianides said: “We have moved away from Strategic because of various concerns which to their credit they have been talking to us about over the last couple of months.
“We have replaced everything without any disruption to the programme with most of the flights sticking to the original timings.
“We are a serious tour operator and we decided it was in the best interests of our customers that we did this rather than wait and see what happens.”
Lambrianides said the flying programme had been replaced by carriers from Europe including Italian airline Livingston Air, Czech carrier Travel Services and Aegean Airlines.
Travel Weekly reported in March that Strategic Airlines, which was officially registered in Luxemburg, was 49% owned by Air Australia which went into administration in February.
The other 59% was found to be owned by the failed carrier’s former boss David Lake, a British citizen who had been chief executive of Strategic Airlines Pty, Air Australia’s parent in Australia.
www.travelweekly.co.uk/Articles/2012/10/03/41817/olympic-holidays-cuts-ties-with-strategic-airlines.html