The Boeing B727/284 "Mount Olympus," once part of the fleet of the Olympic Airways commercial airline founded by shipping tycoon Aristotle Onassis, is now on exhibit as a new "tourist attraction" at the site of the former airport in Elliniko, southern Athens.
The aircraft was one of six purchased by Onassis at the end of the 1960s, when the airline was at its heyday. It was named "Mount Olympus" after the highest mountain in Greece and served as a symbol of the airline's prestige and grandeur.
The B727/284 was retired from service several decades ago and has been parked at the disused Elliniko airport since its decommissioning. In 2023, it was purchased by Zela Aviation, a Cypriot private aircraft company, and moved to Vouliagmenis Avenue.
The rescue and promotion of the landmark aircraft was personally undertaken by Andreas Christodoulides, the current owner of Zela Aviation. Christodoulides, a great admirer of Onassis, said he bought the planes so that the Greeks would not forget them – “so that the world would remember Elliniko, the former main airport of Athens, Olympic and Onassis.”
An official event with government representatives has been completed and now the aircraft is open to the public.
