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Athens-based Olympic Airlines is the latest incarnation of Greece's leading carrier, Olympic Airways.

The company changed its name in 2003 following the merging of Olympic Airways, Olympic Aviation services and Macedonian airlines. But while the name might be new, there is a long and illustrious history behind this airline and inter-locking Olympic rings logo.

The first Olympic Airways flight took place on April 6th, 1957, after shipping magnate Aristotle Onassis (who would go on to marry President Kennedy's widow Jackie) bought the Greek national carrier TAE.

Onassis invested heavily in the airline, ordering cutting edge aircraft and drafting in French fashion designer Jean Desses to design the staff uniforms.

The business took off rapidly and within just two years, Olympic Airways had ordered its first jet aircraft, the British-made De Havilland Comet.

During the 60s the airline was the fastest growing in the world, quickly acquiring Boeing 707s and adding New York, Johannesburg and Montreal to its list of destinations.

Onassis continued the trend he had set with Desses, and successive Olympic uniforms were designed by luminaries such as Coco Chanel and Pierre Cardin.

The 70s saw Olympic Airways continuing its impressive growth rate, swiftly becoming one of the world's leading airlines.

Olympic Aviation was founded in 1971, in a bid to connect Greece's smaller airports to its major hubs with a fleet of small propeller planes and helicopters.

In 1972 Olympic launched its first flight to Sydney, meaning the airline now connected five of the seven continents and in 1973 the airline became one of the first to order the Jumbo Jet, the original Boeing 747.

In the space of 15 years, Olympic had increased its capacity tenfold, transporting over 2.5 million passengers in 1972.

But then tragedy struck.

Onassis' son and heir, Alexander, was killed in a plane crash in 1973.

In the same year, the price of crude oil rocketed, squeezing airlines' profit margins and forcing Onassis to pull out of a deal to purchase the new generation of supersonic airliner, the Concorde.

Shortly before he died in 1975, Onassis sold all his shares in the airline he had founded and nurtured to the Greek government.

The late 70s, 80s and 90s were marked by continuing growth but at a slower rate.

Notably Olympic was one of the first airlines to support the pan-European Airbus project and new destinations, from Barcelona to Bangkok, were added to the airline's growing list of routes.

Today Olympic Airlines continues to hold its prestigious position as one of the World's leading carriers, operating flights to 36 domestic and 37 international destinations across 28 countries.

The airline has an excellent safety record and its fleet has been certified by international organisations as one of the World's safest.

Airbus A340s and Boeing 737s provide the mainstays of the jet fleet and Olympic also operates a number of turboprop aircraft, including ATR 42s, ATR 72s and DH Dash 8-100s.

As well as operating its usual impressive array of routes and services, the fleet sprung into action for the 2004 Olympic Games in Athens, for which Olympic Airlines was an official grand sponsor.

In the space of one month, Olympic Airlines planes flew 8,164 flights and carrying 631,226 passengers, many of whom were athletes.

Olympic Airlines was given another chance to prove its impressive credentials during the Athens 2006 Eurovision song contest, for which the airline was official carrier.

Although Olympic Airlines has come a long way since the death of its founder, it still remains true to the ideals that Aristotle Onassis instilled in his fledgling company.

If you want the very cheapest airfares that Olympic Airlines can offer, be sure to book through Major Travel.