Aegean Airlines (A3, Athens) and Olympic Air (OA/Athens) are planning to merge later this year using the Olympic Air name in an attempt to create a big enough hub and spoke operation in Athens. The new combined entity would be listed on the Athens Stock Exchange with the Aegean majority owner Vassilakis Group and Olympic parent Marfin Investment Group getting an equal stake in the carrier. The European Union has announced that it will review the proposed plan because it would create a monopoly on a wide range of domestic and international routes. Aegean has officially joined Star Alliance and has launched new domestic public service obligation services: Athens-Kalamata: up to 2x daily ATR 72-500 service operated by Swiftair (7J/Madrid) (replacing Olympic Air) Athens-Sitia: 5x weekly ARJ-100 service (replacing Sky Express (Greece) (GQ/Heraklion)) Mikonos-Milan Malpensa: weekly seasonal A320-200 service until August 26 Mikonos-Rome Fiumicino: 2x weekly seasonal A320-200 service until August 28 Santorini-Milan Malpensa: 2x weekly seasonal A320-200 service until August 29 Santorini-Rome Fiumicino: 2x weekly seasonal A320-200 service until August 30 Thessaloniki-Kalamata: 3x weekly ARJ-100 service (replacing Sky Express (Greece)) Thessaloniki-Kerkyra: 5x weekly ARJ-100 service (replacing Olympic Air) Thessaloniki-Samos: 6x weekly ARJ-100 service (replacing Athens Airways (ZF/Athens)) It has however given up its routes from Athens to Bucharest Otopeni, Kefallinia, Limnos and Sofia. It will terminate its flights from Athens to Ioannina and Tirana on September 13 and from Athens to Belgrade, Kavala, Venice Marco Polo and Vienna on October 30. Aegean has retired its last B737-400 and has started phasing out its ARJ-100 fleet. It will also return its two ATR 72-500s wet-leased from Swiftair (7J/Madrid) by the end of September. It has currently temporarily wet-leased an A320-200 from Olympic Air. Aegean will start codesharing with Star Alliance partner Continental Airlines (CO/Houston Intcl) on September 1. Continental operates five weekly B767-200ER services between Athens and New York Newark.