Volotea closes Athens base, affecting 80+ employees and 800,000 seats
Volotea announced the closure of its Athens base, affecting over 80 employees and reducing 800,000 seats in Greece. The move comes four months after Aegean Airlines acquired a stake in Volotea, while Sky Express steps in to offer support and opportunities to impacted workers
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Volotea announced, through an internal memo, that it will close its base in Athens (ATH), Greece, according to local media reports. This decision is expected to affect over 80 direct employees and reduce 800,000 seats previously offered at Eleftherios Venizelos International Airport.
The company plans to relocate its two Airbus A320 aircraft to rapidly growing bases in France and Italy, aligning with its strategy to develop routes connecting secondary cities across Europe.
Before the closure, the airline connected Athens to 21 destinations in France, Spain, Italy, Croatia, and Greece, including Bilbao, Brest, Lyon, and Marseille. Most of these routes were seasonal, operating primarily during the summer.
In fact, Volotea's Greek market stood out during peak summer travel, with up to 1.6 million seats offered in 2024 from 13 Greek cities.
This decision comes four months after Aegean Airlines, Greece’s largest airline, acquired 13% of Volotea's shares for EUR 25 million. Aegean plans to further increase its stake, potentially investing up to EUR 100 million for a 21% share in the Spanish airline.
According to Volotea’s website, destinations previously operated by the airline are now listed as “Aegean Airlines” routes starting in April.
Meanwhile, Sky Express, Greece's second-largest airline, has seized the opportunity to expand its workforce by hiring specialized personnel. The company also extended support to employees affected by the closure.
In a statement, Sky Express acknowledged the challenges and offered help: "Following the recent announcements regarding the closure of Volotea’s base in Athens, and being aware of how disruptive and disappointing this is, Sky Express is extending its support to those affected. If you are looking for new opportunities in Greece, we strongly encourage you to contact us. Send us your CV at hr@skyexpress.gr, and we will be delighted to arrange an interview with you."
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