Theodoros Vassilakis, the founder and president of Aegean Airlines, passed away at the age of 78. It was the Aegean Airlines that announced his death, late Thursday evening.
“The board of directors and the employees of AEGEAN express their deep sorrow for the loss of Founder and President of our company, Theodoros Vassilakis. Our President was for all of us a source of inspiration from our first flight, our first passenger to date. The value he advocated and his vision will continue to lead us,” Aegean Airlines said in a statement.
One of the biggest contemporary Greek entrepreneurs, Vassilakis acquired the small VIP service Aegean Aviation in 1994. the name Aegean Airlines was adopted with the start of scheduled passenger services at the end of May 1999.
Aegean’s first commercial flights were in May 1999 from Athens to Heraklio.
In 2013, Aegean Airlines merged with Olympic Airlines, making the company the biggest flight operator in Greece.
Vassilakis was also Executive Chairman of Hertz Auto Hellas, which he acquired in the 19170’s.
He was born on the island of Crete in 1940, and studied in the USA.
He was a self-made entrepreneur.
Vassilakis was reportedly fighting cancer for more than ten years.
