August 2005: Greek air-accident investigation committee, headed by Akrivos Tsolakis, starts interviewing people in Cyprus linked to the August 14 tragedy.
September 2005: Parliament calls for independent inquiry into crash. Government plans to bring in experts from the American Air Safety Foundation (ASF) to investigate the needs of the Civil Aviation Department as part of the probe.
December 2005: Police investigation under way, but authorities say no responsibilities will be doled out until Tsolakis completes and releases the investigation findings.
March 2006: Helios to cease flying but not trading, while its parent company Libra Holidays Group (LHG) replaces it with a new charter airline named ajet. A US Federal Aviation report commissioned by the government reportedly points the finger at Cyprus’ Civil Aviation authorities with regard to the disaster.
May 2006: Tsolakis officially hands over his draft report on the crash to the Cyprus government. Former Supreme Court Judge Panayiotis Kallis officially sworn in as the head of the one-man government-appointed Cypriot Air Crash Committee.
June 2006: The committee of inquiry headed by Kallis gets under way. Two days later .Kallis adjourns investigation until August so that Helios lawyers can study Tsolakis report.
August 2006: Relatives file lawsuit in Illinois against airline manufacturer Boeing.
October 2006: Tsolakis hands over report to officials in Cyprus and in Greece. Attorney-general Petros Clerides announces the resumption of the police investigation into possible criminal responsibility for the crash. Local lawyers on both sides of the Helios debate agree it would be difficult for the police to establish criminal responsibility for the crash. Athens public prosecutor launches criminal proceedings into the aviation accident.
November 2006: Civil aviation authorities issue an order grounding ajet flights from Cyprus, and secure a court injunction freezing assets of the company worth £3 million.
March 2007: Helios Relatives’ Victims Committee’s request to file lawsuits against Boeing rejected by an American court. Communication Minister Harris Thrassou denies any involvement in US decision.
May 2007: AG refuses to make public the Kallis report as could be viewed as sensationalist and cause harm to ongoing investigation.
July 2007: Relatives and their lawyers given parts of the Kallis report concerning the civil responsibilities and the minutes of the procedure. Relatives file a €76 million lawsuit with Greek courts against aircraft manufacturer Boeing and defunct airline Helios, claiming emotional distress.
August 2007: The families of 23 victims seek punitive damages from the Republic. Their legal action is specifically targeted at the Department of Civil Aviation, which they accuse of cutting corners when it came to air safety. Arguments based on Tsolakis and Kallis reports.
September 2007: AG promises police investigation into crash will be completed in one to two months. Investigations said to be being conducted in ‘record time’. Criminal charges could be brought against individuals who played a role in the crash. The matter concerning the possible prosecution of people believed to be responsible was also discussed during a cabinet meeting.
April 2008: Further delays in police probe due to missing crucial pilot testimony. Investigations were supposed to be completed by the spring of 2008, but now it appears that they will not be concluded before the summer.
July 24, 2008: Three-year time limit for filing a law suit regarding the crash about to expire. AG promises police investigation into the crash will be submitted any day now.
July 28, 2008: AG receives police investigation into the plane crash.
July 31, 2008: Charges ranging from murder to negligence filed by Greek authorities against six former Helios Airways officials including three Cypriots, two Britons and a Bulgarian. The identities of the six not revealed.
August 1, 2008: Confusion over who will try Helios case. Legal experts warn Greek and Cypriot authorities will have to come to some sort of agreement to avoid possible jurisdiction complications in prosecutions.
