Reuters speaks exclusively to the new owner of Olympic Airlines, who talks about his plans for the once-gilded carrier founded by Aristotle Onasis. Marfin Investment Group's Vice Chairman Andreas Vgenopoulos, talks about the group's decision to buy Olympic Airlines, Greece's ailing state carrier, in the middle of a global financial crisis. Olympic, Europe's last wholly stated owned airline, had accumulated losses believed to be over 2 billion euros, and although a preferred airline for Greeks and tourists to the Greek islands, it was dogged by labour strikes. Attempts to sell Olympic over the years had failed, and the European Union continuously warned Greece to stop subsidizing the airline. Marfin, which signed the deal this month, is planning to breathe new life into the airline, but will be competing with Greece's other private airline, Aegean, which for the first time last year carried more passengers than Olympic.
