Air Transport Hall of Fame at Athens International Airport

Sir Stelios Haji-Ioannou among the 50 figures honoured for their contribution to the global aviation industry

The Air Transport Hall of Fame, an international distinction established by Hermes – Air Transport Organization in cooperation with Korn Ferry and Athens International Airport, is presented at Athens International Airport.

The Air Transport Hall of Fame features 50 figures from the global air transport industry who have left a lasting mark on the development of commercial aviation, highlighting the leadership, innovation, and vision that have shaped the modern aviation industry.

The Air Transport Hall of Fame spans the underground walkway connecting the Main Terminal with the Satellite Terminal, transforming passengers’ journey to their departure gate into an immersive experience through the history of aviation. Passengers departing from Gates C15 to C40 have the opportunity to view the exhibition as they pass through the space.

Among the individuals honoured is Sir Stelios Haji-Ioannou, recognised for founding easyJet and for his contribution to transforming European aviation through a model that redefined access to air travel.

As mentioned by Sir Stelios Haji-Ioannou, founder of easyJet, the ‘easy’ family of brands, and the Stelios Philanthropic Foundation: “I am truly honored to be inducted into the Air Transport Hall of Fame. My contribution to the airline industry began with creating the ‘easy’ family of brands, starting with easyJet airline at the age of 27. Today, 32 years later, easyJet has grown into a major and successful airline. One of my most important business decisions was to retain ownership of the ‘easy’ family of brands into my own company, easyGroup. Through this structure, I have created a steady and recurring income stream from the royalties. The profits from easyGroup, which I donate each year to the Stelios Philanthropic Foundation, a UK registered charity active in the 6 countries where me and my family have lived and worked, including Greece, my birthplace. We are supporting a wide range of charitable activities, including entrepreneurship, education, and support for those in need, and this is my way of giving back to society. So, from a small airline startup in 32 years, I have created a lasting positive impact for our communities, and I would like to thank the tens of thousands of people involved in running the airline today.”

About the Stelios Philanthropic Foundation

The Stelios Philanthropic Foundation is a non-profit, non-governmental organisation supporting charitable and educational initiatives in countries where its founder, Sir Stelios Haji-Ioannou, has been active, including Greece, Cyprus, the United Kingdom, Ireland, France and Monaco.

The Foundation contributes to society through:

• The “Food from the Heart” initiative, supporting individuals facing financial hardship across Greece, Cyprus, the UK, Ireland and France. Since its launch in 2013, the programme has distributed snacks every working day, serving on average 300,000 snacks monthly to 150,000 visitors.
• Organising a total of seven entrepreneurship awards across Greece, Cyprus, the UK, Ireland, France and Monaco.
• Funding scholarships that enable young people to study at schools and universities such as Doukas School, BCA College and OMEGA Yachting Academy in Athens, the University of Cyprus, and the London School of Economics and Bayes Business School, City, University of London.
• Offering free use of the Stelios Foundation Conference Hall (capacity up to 200 people) to non-profit organisations. The historic building at 22 Kidathineon Street in Plaka was fully renovated by the Foundation and inaugurated in autumn 2023.

For more information about the Foundation’s activities, please visit: https://stelios.org/