Ellinair
A former Greek scheduled and charter airline that linked leisure destinations in Greece with domestic and international markets, particularly Eastern Europe.
About Ellinair
Ellinair was a Greek airline founded in 2013 as part of the Mouzenidis Group, a tourism business with strong links to the Russian and Eastern European travel markets. The carrier began operations in 2014 and combined scheduled services with charter flying for holidaymakers visiting Greece. It suspended operations in 2021 amid the financial difficulties affecting its parent group and has not resumed commercial flights.
Thessaloniki Airport was Ellinair’s principal operating base, reflecting the airline’s focus on northern Greece and the Halkidiki tourism market. It also operated from Athens and several Greek island airports. Its network included domestic links and international services connecting Greece with cities in Russia, Ukraine, Georgia, Kazakhstan and other nearby markets, with schedules often expanding during the summer holiday season.
Ellinair operated narrow-body aircraft suited to short- and medium-haul services, including Airbus A319 and Airbus A320 family aircraft. Earlier operations also involved Boeing 737 types supplied through leasing arrangements. The airline generally offered economy-class service, while some flights provided a more flexible or enhanced business-class product. Cabin configuration, catering and baggage terms could vary according to route, fare and operating aircraft.
The airline was not a member of Star Alliance, SkyTeam or Oneworld, and it did not have a widely established frequent-flyer programme comparable with those of larger network carriers. Its commercial model instead relied heavily on packaged tourism, charter partnerships and direct leisure demand. Any historical ticket benefits or travel credits should not be assumed to remain valid following the suspension of operations.
Ellinair’s focused network once gave travellers useful nonstop access between northern Greece and several Eastern European cities, particularly during peak leisure periods. Its seasonal orientation, however, meant that frequencies and destinations could change considerably between summer and winter. Travellers researching old reservations should also note that some supplied identifiers associated with the name are inconsistent: ICAO code ANK, the legal name Air Nippon and the listed Japanese website refer to the former Japanese carrier Air Nippon, not Ellinair.
Good to know
Flying with Ellinair — what to expect
Operations Remain Suspended
Ellinair suspended commercial operations in 2021 and is not currently selling a normal schedule of passenger flights. Treat third-party pages displaying Ellinair itineraries as potentially outdated.
Check Airline Identity
Ellinair’s historical ICAO code was ELB. References to ANK, Air Nippon or a Japanese Air Nippon website concern a different former airline.
Historical Baggage Rules
Baggage allowances varied by fare, route and charter arrangement. For an old booking or claim, use the conditions printed on the original ticket rather than relying on archived general policies.
Seasonal Network
Ellinair’s former network was strongly seasonal, with additional Greek island and Eastern European services during holiday periods. Historical route maps therefore may not represent a single year-round schedule.
Old Booking Claims
Passengers holding unused historical tickets or credits should contact the original travel agency, tour operator, card provider or relevant insolvency representative. Airport staff and unrelated airlines generally cannot process Ellinair claims.
Reviews of Ellinair
TripAdvisor · 2019–2022- 517
- 47
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What travellers flew
Counted from the 50 reviews below — a tally of the flights reviewed, with each chip carrying the average score those reviewers gave. Nothing here reads their prose or summarises what they said.
✓ marks a group averaging 7/10 or better, − one averaging 4/10 or worse, across at least three reviews.
Cheaters!!! Beware!
This company is a bunch of cheaters. Two of us were booked on a flight with them for September 2020. The flight was cancelled a few days after it was booked. We still managed to go on a trip via other airlines. When in Greece I called them and inquired about a… See more refund. They said they would issue a voucher valid for 18 months and if not used they would issue a refund. The voucher was never issued. 18 months later I email them on the refund. Their response was to call them??? No airline is asking that. Email is usually enough or they do it automatically. When I tried to call it was obvious the numbers they provide were not in operation. In fact tried again a week ago when on vacation in Greece again. No wonder there is info on the web stating they closed down. They act as if the did. I wonder how a company like this can still legally exist.
See lessPosted August 2022 by Victoria D, New York City
The worst airline ever - they didnt refund the cost of cancelled flight
They cancelled my flight and didnt want to refund, they offered a voucher valid for 18months and told me that if I don't use it then they will refund my flight, after 18 monts they don't even bother to reply my emails. Avoid this airline! Worst experience… See more ever!
See lessPosted March 2022 by Monika L
They sell, cancel and don't reimburse
I booked two flights with ellinair airlines 7 months ago. Both flights were cancelled. And we still are waiting for the reimbursement. The flights are (booking number B3RBF5 Heraklion-Miscow And FZIANM Moscow - Korfu for two passengers Stepaniuk Stefaniia and… See more Stepaniuk Mikhaïl They do not reply my emails - I ve just read through trust pilot that I m to the old one with that problem. If the reimbursement is not resolved with 1 month it will be official - they steal money from the customers.
See lessPosted February 2022 by Надя Т
Excellent service!
I booked economy class and thought I was allowed only 1 item 8kg. But the check in agent informed me that I could have my personal bag on board and put my little luggage in the aircraft at no extra cost. Much nicer than Aegean which charged us even for one… See more cake from Duty Free as extra luggage. Well done Ellinair! Thank you very much!
See lessPosted September 2020 by Keli L, London
Easy like flying!
Everything was fine ! No delays , no problem! A little bit strict with the hand luggage 🧳 but everyone is nowadays, so better be within limits! The gate in Athens was a little bit far, but that goes with the low cost as well! The site and checking in online… See more is excellent! It would be great to have a mobile app though aswell! The browser on the mobile doesn’t really cut it , I had to use the laptop 💻! So to sum it up, ellinair you are gonna see me again! P.S. there are plenty seats 💺 you can choose with no extra cost!
See lessPosted March 2020 by panayiotisb, Athens
Everything according to schedule
This is the airline which belongs to the Mouzenidis Group with Greek and Russian shareholders and is based in Thessaloniki-Greece; the airline is carrying mainly tourists who book at Mouzenidis but is also doing inland flights in Greece;most of the flights are… See more from and to countries of Eastern Europe ,especially Russia and Ukraine,but there also are some flights to Western Europe too ; at the moment ,the airline has seven aircraft ,Airbus and Boeing and the aircraft I flew with ,an Airbus A 320 with 180 seats ,seemed to me in a good condition,clean and with nothing to complain about ; this summer I was flying for the fourth time with Ellinair from Bucharest to Heraklion and I must say they improved a lot since 2016; in 2016 there was a delay of 8 hours ;this time ,like last year ,both flights were exactly on time with no delay at all; check-in was ok with 20 kg of checked in luggage ; on board we had served a sandwich and a drink ,soft or wine and also coffee or tea and a biscuit ; it was a really pleasant flight with friendly and nice Greek well chosen flight attendants ; next year ,when I will travel on my own to Heraklion ,I will probably chose Ellinair as they have the best fare from Bucharest to Heraklion,about 200 Euro return ,among the cheapest ,cheaper as Aegean for example ,who don’t have direct flights ,only with a stopover in Athens ;
See lessPosted December 2019 by Ulysses336, Brasov
Traveller reviews originally published on TripAdvisor, shown for reference — service standards may have changed since. Originfacts does not edit or verify individual reviews, and the sample reflects who chose to leave one.
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FAQ
Ellinair — frequently asked questions
Quick answers to the details travellers usually check first, from codes and locations to the practical basics that help with planning.
8 common questions
- Ellinair does not currently operate scheduled passenger flights. Its former network linked Greek destinations with domestic points and markets in Eastern Europe, the Caucasus and Central Asia.
- There is no current longest route because Ellinair is not operating flights. Its historical network changed seasonally, and naming a single longest service without a specified timetable period would be unreliable.
- Originfacts compares live fares from hundreds of airlines and travel agencies via its partner Travelpayouts and never adds a fee. Because Ellinair is not currently operating, genuine live Ellinair fares may not be available.
- Ellinair’s principal operating base was Thessaloniki Airport. The airline also operated services from Athens and several Greek leisure airports before suspending flights in 2021.
- Ellinair currently flies to no destinations because its commercial operations have remained suspended since 2021. Historical totals varied substantially by season and year.
- Ellinair has no current carry-on allowance because it is not operating passenger flights. For a historical booking or claim, consult the baggage conditions shown on the original ticket, as limits varied by fare and service.
- Ellinair tickets are not currently available through a normal operating schedule. Historically, prices depended heavily on summer demand, charter allocations and the timing of travel to Greek leisure destinations.
- Historically, Thessaloniki was Ellinair’s main departure airport, with Athens and Greek holiday airports such as Heraklion and Rhodes also playing important seasonal roles. There are no current Ellinair departures.