Alcyone, Airline handling supervision company.

Product

Alcyone Air Services S.A. is a company dealing with supervision and administration of charter airline operations in Greece. At present, we are providing services to the airlines we represent at 18 Greek airports, with the capacity to expand as necessary .

Tour operator affiliations

Co operation with all Tour Operators is on an excellent standing, though Alcyone Air Services S.A. is not affiliated to any of them.

Head offices & administration dept.

The head office is located on Rhodes. It is open seven days a week providing all the necessary operational support such as:

Slot co-ordination.
Daily flight watch.
Contacts/liaison with HCAA, the handling company, suppliers and other local and airport authorities.

The administration department assists airlines with payment of the Greek airport taxes and other governmental expenses, as well as all duty free related customs formalities for Scandinavian airlines.

Fiscal and VAT representation

Alcyone Air Services S.A. is the fiscal and VAT representative for the majority of pre-order duty free goods providers.

Own offices

Rhodes, Heraklion, Chania and Kos are run by the co-partners of Alcyone Air Services S.A. At all other airports we operate through sub-agents.

Operating licenses & insurance

We hold the operating licenses in Chania, Heraklion, Kos and Rhodes, as well as liability insurance that covers all stations at which we operate flight supervision, all according to the requirements of the HCAA.

Company seminars & staff training

Each year Alcyone Air Services S.A. organize seminars in Athens for own staff and co-operators. The seminars concerns new operational info/procedures as well as general training, which covers all areas of ramp operations, passenger services and welfare as well as security, safety, emergencies and load control.

In addition, to keep up with current developments and to assist our airlines, one or two of the Alcyone Air Services S.A. co-partners attend regularly the annual IATA Summer Slot Co-ordination Conference.

Services

We provide a flight watch centre on all days of operation, through the appointed Alcyone Air Services S.A. office and mobile phones covering and co-ordinating all operational contingencies.
All stations can be contacted by mobile phone, e-mail and SITA, at airports where telex is available. Where telex is not available, contact is made via handling agent’s online computer SITA.

Pre flight duties

The duty officer is available at least 90 minutes before the check-in for the first flight of the day commences, in order to co-ordinate all ground services and brief everyone concerned (own staff, and all suppliers) in due time for the day’s operation.

Check and ensure, as far as practical, availability and preparedness of the staff, equipment, supplies and services of the Handling Agent company to perform the handling services.

Notify local suppliers, handling company and authorities of the carrier’s requirements and procedures.

Monitor the general standards of all suppliers and report to the Carrier.

Check that all documentation is ready and delivered in time to be loaded onto the flight (passengers, baggage and cargo wherever this service has been contracted for).

As required, assist the handling company to verify ticket validity and Tour Operator allocations.

In case of flight disruptions, to co-ordinate passenger welfare as required by the airline.

Note irregularities in station log and inform the Carrier at the earliest opportunity, in accordance with instructions.

Arrange the provision of meteorological information for each flight

During ground stop

Ensure that all the carrier’s aircraft are met on arrival by staff that receive briefing from the crew and in return give information about irregularities; changes in schedule; ensuring changes are actioned.

Post flight

Check that all operational messages are accurately compiled and are dispatched within the specified time limits.
Maintain an administrative department for compiling and dispatching all forms, reports, statistics, as required by the carrier and local authorities.
Check tracing of baggage and any lost and found articles. Follow-up as necessary

In general

Look to that all documentation such as Ground Operation Manuals, Station Service Manuals, carrier and local Airport Emergency and Security Manuals are kept up to date and revised.

Assist Tour Operators and their staff in all matters

Hold separate briefing meetings with authorities, handling company and local tour operators on a regular basis throughout the season.
Carry out a weekly stock and serviceability check of the carrier’s ULD equipment on hand, in conjunction with the handling company as appropriate.
Check and sign on behalf of the Carrier, invoices, supply orders, handling charge notes, work orders e.t.c., for passenger and ramp handling.

If so required and as specified by the Carrier, make payment on behalf of the Carrier of all out of pocket expenses such as accommodation, transport and catering charges...

Ensure correct carrier signage is used.

Hold yearly meetings attended by all Alcyone Air Services S.A. stations at which our contracted carriers are invited to participate and present their views, comments and briefings.

Provide training for all staff at Alcyone Air Services S.A. regarding safety, security and emergencies as approved by the Hellenic Civil Aviation Authority and, where applicable, by the Hellenic Air Force.

Board of directors

Sotiris Katsaras	President	Rhodes
Noomi Edin-Pavlidi	Managing Director	Rhodes
Maria Kourouni		Kos
Anestis Alexandridis		Heraklion
Rosmarie Vetterli-Kessanioti		Chania

History

In 1993 Scanair, charter daughter airline of SAS, was renamed to PREMIAIR, acquired its own wings and left the SAS nest. Until then, SCANAIR had its own strictly and excellently trained staff at the various destinations abroad but then the decision was taken to stop employing their own and instead to contract the required services locally.

At the time of those changes, the SCANAIR staff in Greece were a closely-knit team, trained according to the SAS and IATA requirements, and providing a high standard of services. Five of these, who had reached the post of Station Manager and some of Station Inspectors, all with 15 or 20 years experience based on four of the major Greek destinations (Rhodes, Kos, Heraklion and Chania), joined forces and created a new company.

This is how Alcyone Air Services S.A. was created, possibly the very first joint business venture of its sort, created by five airline-trained aviation executives turning into businessmen, and not the other way around.