LFC AIRLIFT with fans to the ATHENS FINAL - 2007

[viscount]

THE CHAMPIONS LEAGUE FINAL
Wednesday 23rd May 2007 - OLYMPIC STADIUM, ATHENS
Liverpool FC v AC Milan

To handle some 12,000 extra departing passengers destined for Athens over two and a half days, the Airport brought in marquees, 28 temporary check-in desks (this was in the days of airline tickets, before print-your-own boarding passes) and over 100 additional staff were drafted in to help out with ‘Operation Zorba’. The planning which had commenced while LFC were still in the Semi-Final stage ensured that the operation was an outstanding success for all organisations involved in processing high volumes of passengers and getting the fans smoothly on their way to Athens, without impacting on the Airport’s day-to-day EasyJet, Ryanair and holiday passenger throughput. On the morning of the match it is reckoned that some 7,000 fans departed from LJLA within a few hours. Andy Gower masterminded Operation Zorba.

The numbers are impressive, amounting to by far the largest exodus of football fans through LJLA yet. There were in the region of 54 flights outbound (10 using widebody types) and 54 inbound, operated by some 33 different airlines and for the enthusiast, 60 different aircraft of 18 different registration nationalities appeared at LJLA over a 5 day period. There were aircraft from 7 type families, of 13 different variants. Airport publicity put the number of fans departing at ‘around’ 12,000, although other sources stated 14,000 fans flew out.

It seems the larger the airlift the more complex the list of airlines and aircraft involved becomes. There are a number of airlines that provided aircraft in one direction only, more aircraft loads came back than departed, and some plans changed on the day of operation. I was talking to one of Duty Officers on the Sunday evening and was told that there were no Boeing 747 departures on Monday, although two of the Corsair aircraft would arrive in the evening to depart early Tuesday. Driving to work on Monday morning, I watched an older mark of Boeing 747 descend onto 27. Apparently an airline had informed their handling agent of a change of aircraft – but the agent did not notice it was also a significant change of type from a Boeing 757 to a Boeing 747, so requiring only certain parking stands, taller stairs, bus transfer for the departing pax etc. It was only when the aircraft was in the air from Gatwick that the change of type was noticed. Fortunately it was well gone by the time the first anticipated Boeing 747 positioned in. At times apron space was tight and the whole sequence of arrivals and departures carefully choreographed. The airport did well and the forward planning of ‘Operation Zorba’ paid dividends with a smooth flow of aircraft and passengers outbound and on their return.

One does have to feel for the passengers of one of the last flights programmed to depart on Wednesday late morning. Their aircraft, a Boeing 737-300 OY-JTA of JetTime arrived and then was declared ‘tech’, unable to fly. A scramble ensued as the crew, handling agents and airline attempted to locate engineers, parts or a spare aeroplane. While passengers fumed at the delay it became apparent that the aircraft was going nowhere. As every ‘spare’ aircraft in Europe was in Athens, so the passengers were informed that the flight was cancelled and they would not be going to Athens for the match. There could have been ugly scenes, but the passengers accepted that all that could be done had been tried. One would assume that they were offered considerable compensation as they were seriously let down.

FIRSTS AND LASTS

First outbound was the team, first fans flew out in Air Atlanta Boeing 747-300 TF-AMK substituting for an Excel Airways aircraft departing 1056 on Monday 21st May, next aircraft outbound were not until the early hours of Tuesday morning.
Final outbound was LTE Airbus A.320 EC-JRX at 1245 on Wednesday 23rd. The Jet Time Boeing 737-300 OY-JTA arrived 1132, went ‘tech’ and positioned back to Billund 1633, the outbound to Athens cancelled.
The team and staff flew out on Titan Boeing 757-200 G-ZAPU on Monday 21st at 1019. They returned on BM Airbus A.330 G-WWBM at 1302 on Thursday 24th.
The first fans back were on Corsair Boeing 747-400 F-HLOV at 0425, the early hours of Thursday 24th.
The final load of fans returned on Excel Boeing 757-200 G-VKNA at 0243, the early hours of Friday 25th.

OPERATORS, TYPES AND REGISTRATIONS

Regn Nationality        List of Types           Code Airline

9A-  Croatia            Airbus A.320            AEU  Astraeus
CS-  Portugal           Airbus A.321            AWC  Titan Airways
D-   Germany            Airbus A.330            BMA  BMI British Midland
EC-  Spain              Boeing 737-200          EAF  European Air Charter
EI-  Rep. of Ireland    Boeing 737-400          FCA  First Choice Airways
F-   France             Boeing 737-700          FJE  Fly Jet
G-   Great Britain      Boeing 737-800          FLT  Flightline UK
HB-  Switzerland        Boeing 747-300          MYT  MyTravel Airways
LN-  Norway             Boeing 747-400          XLA  Excel Airways
OE-  Austria            Boeing 757-200          AEA  Air Europa
OK-  Czech Republic     Boeing 757-300          BHP  Belair
OM-  Slovakia           Boeing 767-300          BIE  Air Mediterranee
OO-  Belgium            MDD MD82/83             BLE  Blue Line
PH-  Netherlands        MDD MD90                CFG  Condor
SE-  Sweden                                     CRL  Corsair
SX-  Greece                                     DAT  Brussels Airlines
TC-  Turkey                                     DBK  Dubrovnik Airline
TF-  Iceland                                    EUP  Corendon Airline
                                                FHE  Hello
                                                FUA  Futura International
                                                HEJ  Hellas Jet
                                                HHI  Hamburg International
                                                HLX  Hapag-Lloyd Express
                                                JAF  Jetair
                                                LTE  LTE
                                                NOS  Neos
                                                RYR  Ryanair
                                                SAS  Scandinavian Airlines
                                                TCW  Thomas Cook Belgium
                                                SVK  Air Slovakia
                                                TRA  Transavia
                                                TVS  Travel Service
                                                VIK  Viking Airline

Airline               code  Flights operated  Aircraft, registrations and legs operated (return unless stated)
  
Astraeus             AEU   2 return flights  Boeing 757-200 G-OOOB (o/b), G-OAVB (i/b)
                                             Boeing 737-700 G-STRF (o/b), G-STRH (i/b)                                                            
BMI-British Midland   BMA  1 o/b + 2 i/b     Airbus A.330 G-WWBM (return, but incl team i/b) 
                                             Airbus A.320 G-MIDL (i/b only)
European Air Charter  EAF  2 return flights  Boeing 737-200 G-GPFI (o/b), G-CEAH (o/b & 2xi/b only)
Excel Airways         XLA  1 return flight   Boeing 747-300 TF-AMK (o/b)
                                             Boeing 757-200 G-VKNA (i/b)                                                                      
First Choice Airways  FCA  1 inbound flt     Boeing 757-200 G-OOBH (i/b)
Flightline UK         FLT  1 return flight   MDD MD.83 OE-IKB
Fly Jet               FLE  1 return flight   Boeing 757-200 G-FJEA
My Travel             MYT  1 return flight   Boeing 767-300 G-SJMC
Titan Airways         AWC  1 flt outbound    Boeing 757-200 G-ZAPU (with team o/b)
Air Europa            AEA  2 return flights  Boeing 737-800 EC-HGO, EC-HJP
Air Mediterranee      BIE  1 return flight   Airbus A.321 F-GYAO
Air Slovakia          SVK  2 return flights  Boeing 757-200 OM-ASA, OM-ASB
Belair                BHP  1 return flight   Boeing 757-200 HB-IHR
Blue Line             BLE  2 return flights  MDD MD-83 F-GMLK, F-GMLI
Brussels Airlines     DAT  2 return flights  Airbus A.330 OO-SFO 
                                             Boeing 737-300 OO-LTM (o/b), OO-VEN (i/b)
Condor                CFG  2 return flights  Boeing 757-300 D-ABOF
                                             Airbus A.320 D-AICE
Corendon Airline      EUP  1 return flight   Boeing 737-400 TC-TJD
Corsair               CRL  6 return flights  Boeing 747-400 F-HLOV (x2), F-HKIS (x2), F-GTUI (2 o/b, 1 i/b), F-HSUN (1 i/b)
Dubrovnik             DBK  1 return flight   MDD MD-82 9A-CDC
Futura International  FUA  2 return flights  Boeing 737-800 EI-DND
                                             Boeing 737-400 EC-JNU
Hamburg International HHI  2 o/b + 1 i/b     Boeing 737-700 D-AHIB (ret), D-AHIF (o/b only)  
Hapag-Lloyd           HLX  1 return flight   Boeing 737-800 D-AHFX (o/b), D-AHLQ (i/b)
Hellas Jet            HEJ  1 return flight   Airbus A.320 SX-BVD
Hello                 FHE  1 return flight   MDD MD-90 HB-JIC
Jetair                JAF  1 inbound only    Boeing 767-300 OO-TUC (i/b only)
LTE                   LTE  1 return flight   Airbus A.320 EC-JRX
Neos                  NOS  2 o/b + 4 i/b     Boeing 737-800 I-NEOS (i/b), I-NEOX (2 x ret), I-NEOT (i/b)
Ryanair               RYR  1 return flight   Boeing 737-800 EI-DAK
Scandinavian          SAS  1 return flight   Boeing 737-800 LN-RCZ
Thomas Cook           TCW  2 return flights  Airbus A.320 OO-TCJ (2 x o/b, 1 x i/b), OO-TCL (1 x i/b)
Transavia             TRA  1 return flight   Boeing 737-800 PH-HZG (o/b), PH-HZL (i/b)
Travel Service        TVS  5 o/b + 2 i/b     Boeing 737-800 OK-TVG (o/b), OK-TVF (2 x o/b, 1 x i/b), OK-TVC (1 x o/b)
                                             Boeing 737-400 TC-TJC (ret)
Viking                VIK  4 return flights  MDD MD-83 SE-RDG, SE-RDI (x2), SE-RDF

[robaero]

Here are some of my pictures of the departures on the day of the airlift and the following evening.

1-041_41 by Rob Stock, on Flickr

1-056_56 by Rob Stock, on Flickr

1-065_65 by Rob Stock, on Flickr

1-080_80 by Rob Stock, on Flickr

Jetair Fly Boeing 767/300 landing at Liverpool John Lennon Airport. by Rob Stock, on Flickr

Boeing 73700BW G-STRH of Astraeus just about to depart Liverpool John Lennon Airport. by Rob Stock, on Flickr

[viscount]

ATHENS 2007 (long photo post)

This lengthy photopost displays images digitised from 7 x 5” prints which in turn had originally created from digital media. The original XD card had been misplaced before my first PC stored all my digital images. Rather odd though the way some white aircraft undersides have a greenish tinge, presumably an ink setting at Max Spielman when printed out. When digitising the prints I attempted to work out just when I was at the Airport during the main three days of the airlift. Then realised that the prints were in the album not in my usual chronological order, but in alphabetical sequence by airline name, so that is the way they are displayed here too. It is clear that I did not see every aircraft, so Hellas, Futura, Dubrovnik, Flightline, Excel at least are not included.



Air Europa Boeing 737-800 EC-HJP, still familiar colours today



Air Mediterranee Airbus A.320, landing 27



Air Slovakia Boeing 757 OM-ASB ready to roll



Astraeus Boeing 737-700 G-STRF landing 27, the rising flock of birds being far closer to the camera than to the aircraft



Belair Boeing 757 HB-ILR landing 27





Being a once ever visitor to LJLA, I've included two of the Brussels Airlines Arbus A.330-300 OO-SFO



In a different Brussels Airlines livery, Boeing 737-300 OO-LTM landing 27



BMI Airbus A.320 G-MIDL in the Star Alliance scheme



BMI Airbus A.330 G-WWBM took a full load of fans out, but returned with a mixed load of team/staff and fans. How was it decided which fans were lucky enough to fly home on the same aircraft as the team, and which relegated to the bmi A.320?



Condor Boeing 757-300 D-ABOF landing



Corendon Boeing 737-400 TC-TJD







By far the most impressive aircraft on the airlift were the Corsair Boeing 747-400s, which between them operated 6 return flights. The top image of the taxiing aircraft is F-HKIS, the landing shots are F-HSUN. On the last shot note the low picket fence between the GA road and the airfield. How different to the chain link and barbed wire high security fence today.



Second Star Alliance scheme photo of the airlift, this one on Croatia Airbus A.320 9A-CTM.



As far as I recall the only 'polar bear' was this elderly European Air Ferries Boeing 737-200 G-CEAH. I don't have a photo (so likely did not actually see) Flightline's leased MD-83 OE-IKB, so could that too be another candidate for all white 'colours'?



Hamburg International Boeing 737-700 D-AHIB



Hello MDD MD-90 HB-JIC



Jetair Fly Boeing 767-300 on finals



LTE Airbus A.320 EC-JRX. A colour scheme I fail to recognise now, bright and cheerful though and a great improvement on the former Volar blue.



Neos was one of several airlines in ‘TUI blue’ scheme that participated in the airlift. This is Boeing 737-800 I-NEOX



Scandinavian Airlines System Boeing 737-800 LN-RCZ, not an airline one associates with ‘one-off’ charter work.





Thomas Cook Belgium Airbus A.320 in a comic book scheme – completely different on either side. I don’t like it, indeed feel it is close to being in ‘bad taste’ with the somewhat grotesque long nosed ‘They love the Cook’ cartoon. Clearly someone in PR thought it looked a good idea.



A familiar airline at Liverpool having been involved in a great number of football charters over the decades, Transavia with Boeing 737-800 PH-HZG





Travel Service operated several aircraft in their own scheme for the airlift, such as Boeing 737-800 OK-TVF and also this leased-in Corendon aircraft, Boeing 737-400 TC-TJC with Travel Service logo added to the rear fuselage.





Viking of Sweden used 3 different MDD MD-83 aircraft to transport fans. Not sure which the landing aircraft is, but clearly the tail detail is on SE-RDI.

My coverage of Athens airlift is far greater and more comprehensive than I at first realised. There are gaps though, anyone got photos of the Hellas, Dubrovnik Air or Flightline operated aircraft? Quite a few of the airlines as I went through the captions made me think "I wonder when they disappeared?".