Pantheon Airways | British Aerospace BAe 146-100 | SX-WJA | 1976-1995

The 1970s were a decade of change for Pantheon Airways. The 1973 oil crisis, as well as the fall of the Greek military government and the invasion of Cyprus in 1974 left it in significant financial woes. At the same time, the flag carrier was undergoing a transformation and the largest expansion and fleet renewal in its history. The domestic Fokker 27 fleet was phased out in favor of the HS748, the ageing short-to-medium-haul workhorses, the 707/720 and the Caravelle, were being replaced by 727s and 737s, while oncoming A300s and 747s (as well as L-1011s expected from the early 80s) propelled the airline onto the global stage. However, with air travel becoming increasingly accessible, the airline was left with a significant problem. Its HS748 Island Hoppers were configured with 48 seats, while the 737-100, the next smallest aircraft in the fleet, had 110 seats. This made several, mostly domestic, operations hard to fly profitably.

The solution came in the late 70s, in the form of a regional jetliner designed by British Aerospace, the successor of Hawker Siddeley. What would become the BAe 146 was the perfect solution to Pantheon's capacity problems. At 70 seats, the jet would perfectly fill the capacity gap between the HS748 turboprops and the 737 jets. Optimised for short haul and STOL operations, it also happened to be ideal for domestic operations within Greece. And as an extra bonus, the jet's extra wide seats and extremely quiet engines (giving it the title of the world's quietest aircraft at the time) would mean that passengers used to noisy and cramped turboprops or loud and ageing 737 Jurassics on domestic flights would now have a vastly improved experience onboard.

The benefits for the airline were too good to ignore, and it placed the second ever order for the BAe 146 in 1981, ordering 10 BAe 146-100s with an option for 15 more. The first of those jets, SX-WJA, was delivered in February 1984, entering service on the Athens to Alexandroupolis route. It operated faithfully until being withdrawn from use in 2002. Despite several fleet changes throughout the airline's history, the BAe 146, and its Avro RJ successor, were among the most stable and important parts of Pantheon's history, remaining in service for 35 years, until the last one was finally retired in 2019.

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