Friday, September 16, 2011

Sports

INDIAN INSTITUTE OF MARTIAL ARTS(iima)

Sport

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
  (Redirected from Sports)
For other uses, see Sport (disambiguation).
Sport in childhood. Association football, shown above, is a team sport which also provides opportunities to nurture social interaction skills.
Sport is all forms of physical activity which, through casual or organised participation, aim to use, maintain or improve physical fitness and provide entertainment to participants. Sport may be competitive, where a winner or winners can be identified by objective means, and may require a degree of skill, especially at higher levels. Hundreds of sports exist, including those for a single participant, through to those with hundreds of simultaneous participants, either in teams or competing as individuals.
Some non-physical activities, such as board games and card games are sometimes referred to as sports, but a sport is generally recognised as being based in physical athleticism.
Sports are usually governed by a set of rules or customs. Physical events such as scoring goals or crossing a line first often define the result of a sport. However, the degree of skill and performance in some sports such as diving, dressage and figure skating is judged according to well-defined criteria. This is in contrast with other judged activities such as beauty pageants and body building, where skill does not have to be shown and the criteria are not as well defined.
Records are kept and updated for most sports at the highest levels, while failures and accomplishments are widely announced in sport news. Sports are most often played just for fun or for the simple fact that people need exercise to stay in good physical condition. However, professional sport is a major source of entertainment.
While practices may vary, participants in many sports are expected to display good sportsmanship, and observe standards of conduct such as being respectful of opponents and officials, and congratulating the winner when losing.[citation needed]

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[edit] Etymology and meaning

Look up sport in Wiktionary, the free dictionary.
"Sport" comes from the Old French desport meaning "leisure". American English uses the term "sports" to refer to this general type of recreational activity, whereas other regional dialects use the singular "sport". The French word for sport is based on the Persian word bord, meaning "winning" or "win". The Chinese term for sport, tiyu (体育; 體育) connotes physical training. The modern Greek term for sport is Αθλητισμός (athlitismos), directly cognate with the English terms "athlete" and "athleticism".

The oldest definition of sport in English (1300) is of anything humans find amusing or entertaining.[1] Other meanings include gambling and events staged for the purpose of gambling; hunting; and games and diversions, including ones that require exercise.[2] Roget's defines the noun sport as an "activity engaged in for relaxation and amusement" with synonyms including diversion and recreation.[3]

[edit] History

Main article: History of sport
Roman bronze reduction of Myron's Discobolos, 2nd century AD
There are artifacts and structures that suggest that the Chinese engaged in sporting activities as early as 2000 BC.[4] Gymnastics appears to have been a popular sport in China's ancient past. Monuments to the Pharaohs indicate that a number of sports, including swimming and fishing, were well-developed and regulated several thousands of years ago in ancient Egypt.[5] Other Egyptian sports included javelin throwing, high jump, and wrestling. Ancient Persian sports such as the traditional Iranian martial art of Zourkhaneh had a close connection to the warfare skills.[6] Among other sports that originate in ancient Persia are polo and jousting.
A wide range of sports were already established by the time of Ancient Greece and the military culture and the development of sports in Greece influenced one another considerably. Sports became such a prominent part of their culture that the Greeks created the Olympic Games, which in ancient times were held every four years in a small village in the Peloponnesus called Olympia.[7]
Sports have been increasingly organized and regulated from the time of the ancient Olympics up to the present century. Industrialization has brought increased leisure time to the citizens of developed and developing countries, leading to more time for citizens to attend and follow spectator sports, greater participation in athletic activities, and increased accessibility. These trends continued with the advent of mass media and global communication. Professionalism became prevalent, further adding to the increase in sport's popularity, as sports fans began following the exploits of professional athletes through radio, television, and the internet—all while enjoying the exercise and competition associated with amateur participation in sports.
In the New Millennium, new sports have been going further from the physical aspect to the mental or psychological aspect of competing. Electronic sports organizations are becoming more and more popular.
Motorized sports have appeared since the advent of the modern age.

[edit] Sportsmanship

Main article: Sportsmanship
See also: Gamesmanship and Winning isn't everything; it's the only thing
Sportsmanship is an attitude that strives for fair play, courtesy toward teammates and opponents, ethical behaviour and integrity, and grace in victory or defeat.[8][9][10]
Sportsmanship expresses an aspiration or ethos that the activity will be enjoyed for its own sake. The well-known sentiment by sports journalist Grantland Rice, that it's “not that you won or lost but how you played the game", and the modern Olympic creed expressed by its founder Pierre de Coubertin: "The most important thing... is not winning but taking part" are typical expressions of this sentiment.
Violence in sports involves crossing the line between fair competition and intentional aggressive violence. Athletes, coaches, fans, and parents sometimes unleash violent behaviour on people or property, in misguided shows of loyalty, dominance, anger, or celebration. Rioting or hooliganism are common and ongoing problems at national and international sporting contests.

[edit] Professional sports

Modern sports have complex rules and are highly organized.
Main article: Professional sport
The aspect of sports, together with the increase of mass media and leisure time, has led to "professionalism" in sports. This has resulted in some conflict, where the paycheck are more important than recreational aspects, or where the sports are changed simply to make them more profitable and popular, thereby losing certain valued traditions. Indeed, since sport by definition is a leisure activity, "professional sport" does not and cannot exist. However the term is commonplace and accepted to mean a game or other activity, regarded by the general population as sport, which is performed by persons for reward with the intent to entertain spectators. The entertainment aspect also means that sportsmen and women are often elevated to celebrity status in media and popular culture. For this reason, many journalists have suggested that sports should not be reported by the general media but only by specialist magazines.[11]

[edit] Politics

 This section needs additional citations for verification. Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. (May 2010)
Main article: Politics and sports
Sports and politics can influence each other greatly.
When apartheid was the official policy in South Africa, many sports people, particularly in rugby union, adopted the conscientious approach that they should not appear in competitive sports there. Some feel this was an effective contribution to the eventual demolition of the policy of apartheid, others feel that it may have prolonged and reinforced its worst effects.[12]
The 1936 Summer Olympics held in Berlin was an illustration, perhaps best recognised in retrospect, where an ideology was developing which used the event to strengthen its spread through propaganda.
In the history of Ireland, Gaelic sports were connected with cultural nationalism. Until the mid 20th century a person could have been banned from playing Gaelic football, hurling, or other sports administered by the Gaelic Athletic Association (GAA) if she/he played or supported football, or other games seen to be of British origin. Until recently the GAA continued to ban the playing of football and rugby union at Gaelic venues. This ban is still enforced, but was modified to allow football and rugby to be played in Croke Park while Lansdowne Road was redeveloped into Aviva Stadium. Until recently, under Rule 21, the GAA also banned members of the British security forces and members of the RUC from playing Gaelic games, but the advent of the Good Friday Agreement in 1998 led to the eventual removal of the ban.
Nationalism is often evident in the pursuit of sports, or in its reporting: people compete in national teams, or commentators and audiences can adopt a partisan view. On occasion, such tensions can lead to violent confrontation among players or spectators within and beyond the sporting venue, as in the Football War. These trends are seen by many as contrary to the fundamental ethos of sports being carried on for its own sake and for the enjoyment of its participants.

[edit] Physical art

Gymnastics
Sports have many affinities with art. For example, figure skating, drum corps, skateboarding, artistic gymnastics, dancesport, and Tai chi can be considered artistic spectacles. Similarly, there are other activities that have elements of sport and art in their execution, such as bodybuilding, free running, martial arts, professional wrestling, performance art, yoga, dressage, and culinary arts. Perhaps the best example is bull-fighting, which in Spain is reported in the arts pages of newspapers.
All sports involve physical and mental activities that are pursued for more than simply utilitarian reasons. For instance, running, when done as a sport, occurs for reasons beyond simply moving from one place to another. Value is gained from this activity when it is conducted simply for its own sake. This is similar to the concept of aesthetic value, which is seeing something over and above the strictly functional value coming from an object's normal use. For instance, an aesthetically pleasing car is one which doesn't just get from A to B, but which impresses with its grace, poise, and charisma. In the same way, a sporting performance such as jumping doesn't just impress as being an effective way to avoid obstacles. It impresses because of the ability, skill, and style that is demonstrated in its performance.
Art and sports were clearly linked at the time of Ancient Greece, when gymnastics and calisthenics invoked admiration and aesthetic appreciation for the physical build, prowess and arete displayed by participants. The modern term art as skill, is related to this ancient Greek term arete. The closeness of art and sport in these times was revealed by the nature of the Olympic Games, which were celebrations of both sporting and artistic achievements, poetry, sculpture and architectures.

[edit] Technology

 This section is in a list format that may be better presented using prose. You can help by converting this section to prose, if appropriate. Editing help is available. (July 2010)
Technology has an important role in sports, whether applied to an athlete's health, the athlete's technique, or equipment's characteristics.
As sports have grown more competitive, the need for better and fancier equipment has arisen. Such as Golf clubs, bicycles, American footballs and helmets, tennis rackets, baseball and cricket bats, hockey skates.
Ranging from nutrition to the treatment of injuries, as the knowledge of the human body has deepened over time, an athlete's potential has been increased. Athletes are now able to play to an older age, recover more quickly from injuries, and train more effectively than previous generations of athletes.
Advancing technology created new opportunities for research into sports. It is now possible to analyze aspects of sports that were previously out of the reach of comprehension. Being able to use motion capture to capture an athlete's movement, or advanced computer simulations to model physical scenarios has greatly increased an athlete's ability to understand what they are doing and how they can improve themselves.

[edit] Terminology

Show Jumping, an equestrian sport
In British English, sporting activities are commonly denoted by the mass noun "sport". In American English, "sports" is more used. In all English dialects, "sports" is the term used for more than one specific sport. For example, "football and swimming are my favourite sports", would sound natural to all English speakers, whereas "I enjoy sport" would sound less natural than "I enjoy sports" to North Americans.
The term "sport" is sometimes extended to encompass all competitive activities, regardless of the level of physical activity. Both games of skill and motor sport exhibit many of the characteristics of physical sports, such as skill, sportsmanship, and at the highest levels, even professional sponsorship associated with physical sports. Air sports, billiards, bridge, chess, motorcycle racing, and powerboating are all recognized as sports by the International Olympic Committee with their world governing bodies represented in the Association of the IOC Recognised International Sports Federations.[13]
Highly recognized definition of "sport" on EU level is established by the Council of Europe: "all forms of physical activity which, through casual or organised participation, aim at expressing or improving physical fitness and mental well-being, forming social relationships or obtaining results in competition at all levels.[14]

[edit] Grassroots sport

Grassroots sport is a popular phrase which is used in most of the articles about sport and sport for all.[15] Czech Sports Association
 
defines Grassroots sport as synergy of population active in "sport", sport organisations on the most basic level, essential infrastructure and suitable environment, where the main driving force is joy of "sport" itself. ("Sport" defined by Council of Europe)[14]

[edit] Spectator sport

Main article: Spectator sport
As well as being a form of recreation for the participants, much sport is played in front of an audience. Most professional sport is played in a theatre of some kind; be it a stadium, arena, golf course, race track, or the open road, with provision for the (often paying) public.
Australian Rules football
Large television or radio audiences are also commonly attracted, with rival broadcasters bidding large amounts of money for the rights to show certain fixtures. The football World Cup attracts a global television audience of hundreds of millions; the 2006 final alone attracted an estimated worldwide audience of well over 700 million. The Cricket World Cup is another sporting event which attracts a global audience. The 2007 Cricket World Cup attracted about 2.3 Billion viewers all over the world. In the United States, the championship game of the NFL, the Super Bowl, has become one of the most watched television broadcasts of the year. Super Bowl Sunday is a de facto national holiday in America; the viewership being so great that in 2007 advertising space was reported as being sold at $2.6m for a 30 second slot.
The benefits of playing youth sports may include:
  • Better grades
  • Less risk of drug or alcohol use
  • Chance at sports scholarships
  • Health Benefits
The biggest risk for youth sports is the increased risk of injury, including concussions and gym class injuries.[16]
Globe icon.
 The examples and perspective in this section deal primarily with the United States and do not represent a worldwide view of the subject. Please improve this article and discuss the issue on the talk page. (August 2011)

[edit] Gender and sports opportunities

The rise of organized sports opportunities for girls has increased dramatically since the passage of Title IX in 1972. The number of female participants continues to rise as variables such as opportunity for involvement, valuing of sports as part of total development and overall fitness for girls and women has increased.
Despite the tremendous gains in sports participation made by girls and women during the last 30 years, there is still a persistent gap in the enrollment figures between males and females. The participation of girls is currently only 39% of the total participation in interscholastic athletics. There has been a slow but steady climb toward gender balance in the percent of female participants, from 32% of the males’ participation in 1973–74 to 63% in 1994–95. Hessel (2000)[Full citation needed].

[edit] See also

Sports and games.png Sports and games portal
Find more about Sports on Wikipedia's sister projects:
Definitions from Wiktionary
Images and media from Commons
Learning resources from Wikiversity
News stories from Wikinews
Quotations from Wikiquote
Source texts from Wikisource
Textbooks from Wikibooks
Related topics

[edit] References

  1. ^ Harper, Douglas. "sport (n.)"
     
    . Online Etymological Dictionary. Retrieved 20 April 2008.
  2. ^ Webster's Third New International Dictionary of the English Language, Unabridged. Springfield, MA: G&C Merriam Company. 1967. p. 2206.
  3. ^ Roget's II: The New Thesaurus, Third Edition
     
    . Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. 1995. ISBN 0618254145.
  4. ^ "Sports
     
    History in China".
  5. ^ "Mr Ahmed D. Touny (EGY), IOC Member"
     
    .
  6. ^ "Persian warriors"
     
    .
  7. ^ "Ancient Olympic Games"
     
    .
  8. ^ "Merriam-Webster"
     
    .
  9. ^ Fish, Joel & Magee, Susan (2003), 101 Ways to Be a Terrific Sports Parent, Fireside, p. 168
  10. ^ Lacey, David (10 November 2007), "It takes a bad loser to become a good winner"
     
    , The Guardian
  11. ^ [1]
     
  12. ^ "Sport and apartheid"
     
    .
  13. ^ "Recognized non-Olympic Sports"
     
    . 2007-01-03.
  14. ^ a b Council of Europe. "The Europien sport charter"
     
    . Retrieved 16 May 2001.
  15. ^ European Commission. "The White Paper on Sport"
     
    . Retrieved 11.7.2007.
  16. ^ "Gym class injuries up 150% between 1997 and 2007"
     
    , Time, 4 August 2009
  • European Commission (2007), The White Paper on Sport.
  • Council of Europe (2001), The Europien sport charter.

[edit] Further reading

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Olympic Air

Olympic Air

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Olympic Air
IATA
OA		 ICAO
OAL		 Callsign
OLYMPIC
Founded 1957 (Olympic Airways brand)
2009 (as Olympic Air)
Commenced operations 16 April 1957
29 September 2009
Hubs Athens International Airport
Secondary hubs
Frequent-flyer program Travelair Club[1]
Airport lounge Olympic Air International Lounge
Fleet size 24
Destinations 40
Company slogan Greek: Η Ελλάδα Ψηλά
English: Greece, Flying High[2]
Parent company Marfin Investment Group
Headquarters Koropi, Kropia, East Attica, Greece
Key people Andreas Vgenopoulos (Chairman)[3]
Olympic Air is the largest Greek airline by destinations served, formed from the privatisation of the former national carrier Olympic Airlines. Olympic Air commenced limited operations on 29 September 2009, after Olympic Airlines ceased all operations, with the official full-scale opening of the company taking place two days later on 1 October 2009. Its main hub is Athens International Airport, with Thessaloniki International Airport and Rhodes International Airport serving as secondary hubs. The airline is headquartered in Koropi, Kropia, East Attica.[4]
The airline uses the IATA code OA that it inherited from Olympic Airlines, and the ICAO code OAL. The airline initially launched using the IACO code NOA, but later reportedly bought the OAL code used by Olympic Airlines for a rumoured €20 million.[citation needed]
On 22 February 2010, Olympic Air and main competitor Aegean Airlines announced they had reached an agreement to merge their operations, phasing out the Aegean brand. After an in depth inquiry by the European competitions commission, it was announced on 26 January 2011 that the merger was blocked citing anti-competitive concerns.

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[edit] History

[edit] Pantheon proposal

On 16 September 2008 the Greek Government announced a major restructuring of Olympic Airlines, using the "Pantheon Airways" plan to relaunch Olympic as a private airline. Pantheon would operate parallel to Olympic Airlines until April 2009, when Olympic Airlines would be shut down and Pantheon would take over most of its routes. Pantheon would then be renamed using the "Olympic" brand name and the famous six – rings logo. The new Olympic Air would not be a legal successor to Olympic Airlines or Airways, taking up none of the former employees or assets directly.
In February 2009, an international tender concerning the sale of the three companies and the assets of the Olympic Airlines Group (Flight Operations, Technical Base, Ground Handling Operations) and Pantheon Airways collapsed, as the offers presented by the candidates were deemed not satisfactory by the government. After the collapse of this attempt to sell the company, former Transport Minister Kostis Hatzidakis extended an invitation to financial groups to proceed to direct negotiations for the sale of the Group. First to respond was the Marfin Investment Group (MIG), the largest investment fund of Greece, submitting an offer to buy the flight operations and technical base of the Group. Also, Swissport submitted an offer to buy the ground handling operations. After three weeks of negotiations with MIG, on 4 March 2009, Aegean Airlines and Greek-American consortium Chrysler Aviation, also submitted offers to buy the Group. However, Aegean Airlines' offer was not accepted as the new airline would control over 95% of domestic routes, while the government's financial advisors could not determine whether Chrysler Aviation was in the financial position to support its bid.
Airbus A320-200 landing at London Heathrow Airport. (2010)

[edit] MIG era

On 6 March 2009, Development Minister Kostis Hatzidakis announced the sale of the flight operations and the technical base companies to MIG. The negotiations with Swissport continued for another week, to facilitate a commercial agreement between MIG and Swissport. However, a deal was not reached and MIG announced it would take over Olympic's ground handling operations as well.[5] As a result, after 35 years of state control and 10 years of failed sale attempts, Olympic once again became a private corporation. The new owners planned to secure approximately 4,000 of the 8,500 jobs of the Group.
As part of its deal with the Greek state, MIG purchased the assets of Pantheon Airways, some of the valuable slots of Olympic Airlines in New York, London, Paris, Rome, Frankfurt, Brussels and Bucharest, as well as exclusive rights to the "Olympic" brand name and the six rings logo. It also acquired the right to use the two hangars, the cargo unit of Olympic Airways Services and other facilities at Athens International Airport for 25 years. The new airline planned to only retain 65% of the flight operations compared to Olympic's flight operations in summer 2008, in accordance to a rule imposed by the EU during the approval of the sale.[6] It also had to give up its monopoly on the currently operated state-subsidized island routes, and equally share them with other Greek airlines.[7]
Olympic Handling, as the new ground handling company is named, commenced its operations on 29 June, followed by the new technical base company, Olympic Engineering[8] and finally, on 29 September, the new airline, officially renamed Olympic Air.[5][9] The new name of the company was announced during a tender to modernize and redesign the logo of the new airline.[10] This tender followed a previous one that called for fashion designers to submit their designs for the new uniforms of the airline. Shortly after the deal was struck, MIG announced the recruitment process for the three new companies, as well as new tenders for the acquisition or lease of new aircraft.
Airbus A320-200 taking off from London Heathrow Airport. (2010) This destination was ceased oprations on March 27th, 2011.
Olympic Air ordered eight new next-generation Bombardier Q400 during the 2009 Paris Air Show, four of which will be the Q400 NextGen, that are set to cover domestic and Balkan routes and will start being delivered in July 2010.[dated info][11] OA also placed options on a further eight of the type.[12][13][14] Olympic leased a total of 14 A320 series aircraft for its entry into service in September 2009, and plans to order its own aircraft from either from Airbus or Boeing in the near future.[15]
In a press conference on 17 September 2009, MIG president Andreas Vgenopoulos, announced new code share deals, and stated that Olympic Air also has plans to join SkyTeam in the future.[16][17] Vgenopoulos further stated that he wanted to make the company a regional leader, and later, one of the largest airlines in the world if possible.[17] Olympic Air planned to employ around 5,000 staff, some of which include the 8,100 staff employed under the state carrier, with new negotiated contracts.[17] Furthermore, Vgenopoulos stated the company would honor its commitment to give the new government three months to re-nationalize Olympic if it desired.[16][17] Vgenopoulos also stated that a new aircraft order would be announced soon, to replace the current aircraft once their leases run out.[18]
During the inaugural flight ceremony on 1 October 2009, MIG president Andreas Vgenopoulos stated that Olympic Air still holds the exclusive rights to the Macedonian Airlines brand name, and plans to re-launch the airline as a subsidiary of Olympic Air.[19] The new subsidiary would be based out of Thessaloniki, with the purpose of serving the tourism and business needs of the region.[20] The airline will begin operations in spring 2010.[21]
In an October 2009 interview with ATWOnline, CEO Antonis Simigdalas stated that Olympic was now carrying around 10,000 passengers a day with a domestic market share of about 30 percent.[15][22] Simigdalas further stated that the new Olympic Air was about 35 percent smaller than the old Olympic Airlines, and that Olympic Air is planning its own long-haul flights, within a time frame of 12 months.[22] Regarding profitability, Simgdalas stated that with the current economic conditions, he expects Olympic Air to make its first profit in 2012.[23] He further noted that the ground handling unit was already profitable.[22] In an interview with Flight International, Simigdalis stated that Olympic Air's domestic market share had grown to 47 percent by December 2009.[15] He further stated that if things go well, he predicts the airline will break even in 2011.[15]
Olympic Air Airbus A320-200 landing at Athens International Airport
On 6 December 2009, Olympic Air announced that it has been chosen as the official carrier of the Hellenic Olympic Committee for three years from 2010 to 2012. Through this sponsorship, Olympic Air has committed to provide free transportation of Greek Olympic delegations to the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver and 2012 Summer Olympics in London. On 10 December 2009, the company announced that mobile phone check-in is now available for flights departing Athens Airport, making Olympic the first Greek airline to offer this service.[24] As part of its corporate responsibility program, Olympic announced that it would launch an educational programme called "A Day at the Museum", transporting 3500 students from Cyprus to the new Acropolis Museum in Athens, starting from 29 January 2010.[25]
In 2011 Olympic Air announced the start of a premium economy service on its fleet of Bombardier Q400 aircraft for domestic and selected international flights,[26] in addition to its business class service. It is currently the only airline in Greece that offers this service.

[edit] Attempted merger with Aegean Airlines

In February 2010, initial shareholder discussions took place to consider co-operation between major competitor Aegean Airlines and Olympic Air fueling rumors of a possible merger.[27] On 22 February 2010, Olympic Air and Aegean Airlines announced that they have agreed to a merger.[28][29][30] The newly merged airline would carry the Olympic name and logo, after a transition period in which both airline brands would be used in parallel.[28] The Aegean brand would cease to exist after the transition period. Furthermore, Olympic Ground Handling and Olympic Engineering would become 100 percent subsidiaries of the new company.[28]
The sole shareholder of Olympic Air, Marfin Investment Group, and the main shareholder of Aegean, the Vassilakis Group, would have an equal shareholding of 26.6% in the combined entity, while the groups of Messrs Laskaridis, V. Constantakopoulos, G. David and L. Ioannou as well as Piraeus Bank would all maintain their proportional equity participation in the form of a 46.8% stake in the new company, thus giving Aegean an 73.4% stake overall in the new company.[31][32] It was also announced that the new company would be listed on the Athens Stock Exchange.[28] A decision on the merger was initially expected be given from the European Competitions Commission by the end of September 2010.[30][31]
According to a press releases by Aegean and MIG, Aegean Chairman Theodoros Vassilakis and Olympic Chairman and CEO Andreas Vgenopoulos were expected to lead the new company.[33] Vassilakis stated that the merger was brought on by the size of their competitors in the EU, which made it necessary for Greece's two main airlines to merge to create a "national airline champion" with enlarged presence in the European market as well as seamless coverage of even the most remote Greek islands.[33][34] Vgenopoulos further stated that the merger also would preserve and strengthen the Olympic brand name, an inherent piece of Greek national tradition.[35]
At the time of the merger announcement, Aegean was in the process of becoming a full Star Alliance member,[28] while Olympic Air was forging ties with SkyTeam pre-merger. Despite this, it was announced that Aegean's Star Alliance process would continue with the airlines working to guarantee a smooth transition of the merged carrier into the Star Alliance.[36] Star Alliance welcomed the proposed merger, releasing a statement stating "The integration teams from both sides will soon meet to assess the necessary steps, in order to guarantee a smooth transition of the merged Aegean Airlines and Olympic Air operations into the Star Alliance network".[37] At Aegean's welcome ceremony into Star Alliance on 30 June 2010, Star Alliance CEO Jaan Albrecht future confirmed that the enlarged entity will be a full Star Alliance member if the planned merger wins regulatory approval.[38]
After an initial review of the merger, on 30 July 2010 the European Competitions Commission expressed doubts that the merger meets competition regulations, citing "serious competition concerns" particularly in the domestic market but also on several international routes.[39][40] The EC further stated that it had "serious doubts" the merger met requirements regarding ground-handling at Greek airports as well as the provision of Public service obligation routes, which would bring together the "two strongest and most credible bidders" of the PSO routes.[40] The commission chose to open a 90-day in-depth inquiry into the proposed merger in order to further assess the effects of the partnership.[40] The EC was expected to give their final ruling on the tie-up by 7 December 2010.[40] In an interview with Air Transport World in August 2010, Dimitris Gerogiannis, managing director of Aegean Airlines, stated that their main goal at the time was making the merger work.[41] He further went on to say that merging with Olympic Air is a matter of viability, driven by "economic and business realities".[41] Gerogiannis claimed that Greece is unable to sustain two full-service airlines, pointing out other European countries and airlines as examples.[41] Later than month, Aegean posted its first losses in years, further displaying an urgent need for the merger, while both airlines are planning various cuts.[42][43]
Despite a given deadline of 7 December 2010, Olympic and Aegean were hoping for a decision from the EU earlier.[42] The two airlines expected to hand over all details and documents to the EU as requested by the end of September 2010.[42] Olympic and Aegean were hoping for an early decision in order to synchronize 2011 flight schedules, ideally by November 2010 as is the industry standard, in order to reap the benefits and synergies of the merger as soon as possible.[42] The airlines claimed a later decision would hurt them economically and competitively against other airlines, and delay full benefits from the merger until 2012.[42][dated info]
On 24 September 2010, it was announced that Olympic Air had won the European Regions Airline Association Silver Award: Airline of the Year for 2010/2011.[44] Olympic was praised for operating 190 daily flight within two months of starting operations, despite having been re-launched during an extreme economic crisis in Greece and against a backdrop of a troubled past.[44] It was also mentioned how the airline's operation had brought Aegean Airlines to the negotiation table to agree to a merger within a short time frame.[44]
On 21 October 2010, the EU commission announced that they would delay their decision on the merger until 12 January 2011.[45][46] Commissioner Joaquin Almunia also cited difficulties with the two companies holding almost all the domestic market in Greece.[45] Although a specific reason for the delay was not given, according to publications, the commission typically defers decisions when companies offer to take steps that would ease concerns.[45] On 17 November 2010, Commissioner Joaquin Almunia confirmed that the two carries still face some difficulties in their efforts to overcome antitrust concerns over the merger, but stressed that they still have weeks ahead of them to find an adequate solution until the planned 12 January 2011 decision.[47][48] On 10 December 2010, it was reported by Greek media that the European commission has pushed back their ruling date once again, this time with a new tentative date being set for 2 February 2011.[49] February[50]
On 26 January 2011, the European Commission blocked the merger between the two airlines, citing anti-competition concerns.[51][52][53] The commission stated that the merger would have created a "quasi-monopoly" in Greece's air transport market, with the combined airline controlling more than 90% of the Greek domestic air transport market.[54] The EC further stated its belief that the merger would lead to higher fares for four of the six million Greek and European passengers flying to and from Athens each year,[51] with no realistic prospects that a new airline of sufficient size would enter the market to restrain the merged airline's pricing.[52] Additionally, commissioner Joaquin Almunia stated that the merger would have led to higher prices and lower quality of service for Greeks and tourists traveling between Athens and the islands, where the merged airline would have a near total domination between Athens and Thessaloniki, and between the capital and eight island airports.[53][55] Both carriers offered remedies in an attempt to ease concerns, though the EU believed that they would not be enough to protect travelers adequately and ease competition concerns.[53] One of the remedies proposed by the companies, included offering to cede takeoff and landing slots at Greek airports, though the commission noted that Greek airports do not suffer from the congestion observed at other European airports in previous airline mergers or alliances.[51]
EU competition commissioner Joaquín Almunia stated that the airlines could have won approval if they offered to sell part of their fleet to a potential competitor or let another airline use one of their brand names, per EU suggestions.[56] Aegean Airlines called the brand-name proposal unacceptable, with vice-chairman Eftihios Vassilakis stating that the brand names have huge value which both airlines have worked hard to build. Furthermore, Vassilakis stated that the brand name and fleet remedy does not have a precedent in the history of airline mergers.[57]
Commenting on the developments in a joint press release, Aegean Airlines chairman Thodoros Vasilakis stated "Throughout last year we presented to the European Commission the benefits of the merger for our companies, our passengers and our country’s economy. We also offered important commitments to safeguard consumers as well as measures to facilitate the entry of new competitors in the domestic market. Unfortunately, the EC decided to prohibit the agreement. An important opportunity for a consolidated representation in the European aviation market has been lost. We will adjust and continue. Our track record shows that we can succeed through challenging times."[58] Olympic Air chairman Andreas Vgenopoulos mimicked Vasilakis' thoughts on moving forward, also stating "The EC Decision will have negative consequences for consumers as well as our country’s economy while it will benefit foreign competitors. Obviously we, as well as Aegean, will continue to do our best for the benefit of our staff, our shareholders and our passengers".[58] Both airlines also stated that they will study the block report issued by the EU, and after careful analysis and discussion with their advisers, will decide whether to appeal.[58]
Following a shake up of its board of directors, on 2 March 2011 Olympic Air announced they plan to appeal the EU ruling with Aegean Airlines, while they also announced route network changes as apart of their strategy adjustment, which include the cancellation of most of their western-European routes and additions of domestic and regional routes.[59]

[edit] Destinations

Main article: Olympic Air destinations

[edit] Codeshare agreements

Olympic Air signed codeshare agreements with the following airlines:[60][61]

[edit] Fleet

The active Olympic Air fleet consists of the following aircraft with an average age of 6.2 [April 2011] years:[62][65][66]
Olympic Air fleet
Aircraft In Service Orders Options Passengers Notes
J Y Total
Airbus A319-100 3 0 0 0 138 138
Airbus A320-200 5 0 0 12
—		 138
162		 150
162
ATR-42 1 0 0 0 46 46
Bombardier Dash 8-100 5 0 0 0 37 37
Bombardier Dash 8 Q400 10 0 8 0 78 78
Total 24 0 8

[edit] Travelair Club

Travelair Club (written as Travelair Club) is the frequent flyer program of Olympic Air, launched in November 2009. Members can earn miles on Olympic Air, Delta Air Lines and Cyprus Airways flights, car rentals and hotels. It consists of three levels:[67]
  • Blue: Offers seat pre-selection, as well as discounts in restaurant, coffee and pastry shops in Greece.
  • Silver: In addition to Blue level privilleges, the Silver level offers 10% additional award miles on Olympic Air and Cyprus Airways flights, meal pre-selection, waiting list priority on overbooked flights, extra baggage allowance, dedicated check-in and discounts on Blue Star Ferries and Superfast Ferries tickets to destinations not served by Olympic Air. Silver level is obtained by earning 8000 status miles within a year.
  • Gold: In addition to Silver level privilleges, the Gold level offers 20% additional award miles on Olympic Air and Cyprus Airways flights, 24 hours free parking at Athens Airport, access to the CIP Lounges of Olympic Air, Fast Lane security control services at Athens Airport, additional carry on luggage and checked baggage allowance, priority baggage claim and 10% discounts on stays at Classical Hotels in Greece. Gold level is obtained by earning an additional 20000 status miles within a year.
All former Olympic Airlines Icarus Frequent Flyer Program members were offered a 3000 award mile bonus to become members of the Travelair Club.

[edit] Uniform

New uniforms have been selected in an online vote, after an open invitation to designers for Olympic Air flight attendants. Visitors of the site [www.oafashion.gr] could vote for their favourite uniforms among three bids. OA flight staff now wear uniforms designed by the renowned designer Celia Kritharioti.[68]

[edit]

The new logo was selected in an online vote, after an open invitation to designers. Visitors of the site Oalogo.gr
 
could vote for their favourite logo among three bids. The logo designed by Giannis Papathanasiou and Panos Triantafillopoulos, heavily based on the existing logo of Olympic Airlines, won the vote.[69] The six rings are said to symbolise the five continents and Greece.[70]

[edit] Awards and recognition

Since its launch, Olympic has received a number of awards and recognitions:

[edit] References

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    (PDF). travelweekly.com.au. pp. 3. Retrieved 24 February 2010.    [dead link]
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  58. ^ a b c Announcement
     
    (Press release). Aegean Airlines and Olympic Air. 27 January 2011. Retrieved 28 January 2011.
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    . Olympic Air. 10 December 2009. Retrieved 19 December 2009.
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[edit] External links

Aviation portal
Companies portal
Greece portal
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