Minoan Air
| Company type | Private |
|---|---|
| Industry | Airline |
| Founded | September 2011 |
| Founder | George Mavrantonakis |
| Defunct | November 2015 |
| Headquarters | Heraklion , Greece |
Area served | Greece, Spain, United Kingdom, Switzerland |
Key people | George Mavrantonakis (Founder) |
| Products | Regional airline services |
Minoan Air S.A., referred to in Greek as Μινωικές Αερογραμμές, was a regional airline based in Greece with its headquarters located in Heraklion, Crete. Its main hub was situated at Heraklion International Airport.
History
Established in September 2011, the airline was under the leadership of George Mavrantonakis, who co-founded Sky Express and previously held an executive position at Olympic Airlines. The company obtained its air operator's certificate on 30 December 2011, designating Heraklion International Airport as its primary operational base.
By mid-2012, Minoan Air extended its services to Spain by stationing an aircraft there to conduct charter flights on behalf of the Spanish tour operator Good Fly. In July 2012, it introduced year-round routes connecting Heraklion with Kos and Rhodes, alongside seasonal flights to Mytilene and Santorini. Additionally, during that year, one of its aircraft was leased wet to Flyglinjen.
The airline broadened its international presence in January 2013 by opening new bases at London Oxford Airport and Lugano Airport. From London Oxford, services were operated to Dublin and Edinburgh, while flights departing from Lugano connected to Rome-Fiumicino and Vienna. Nevertheless, by September 2013, Minoan Air discontinued all operations from Lugano to concentrate on domestic routes within Greece.
Due to the prolonged effects of the Greek financial crisis, the airline halted all operations indefinitely in November 2015.
Destinations
As of July 2015, Minoan Air provided scheduled domestic flights across Greece, linking important locations such as Athens, Alexandroupoli, its base in Heraklion, Kos, Mykonos, Mytilene, Rhodes, Santorini, and Thessaloniki.
Fleet
By August 2016, the airline's fleet consisted of four Fokker 50 aircraft, each designed to accommodate 50 passengers.
| Aircraft | In Service | Orders | Passengers |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fokker 50 | 4 | — | 50 |
| Total | 4 | — |