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1901-1929

In 1901, two brothers from the Ionian island of Cefallonia, Antonios and Alexandros Yannoulatos, established in Constantinople (Istanbul) the Steam Shipping Company "Destounis-Yannoulatos"

The company operated ships, which linked the Black Sea Ports with Constantinople, Thessaloniki, Volos, Piraeus and ports in the Adriatic Sea.

The company was transfered to Piraeus in 1905 and started to operate Domestic Services and at the same time to linked Greece with Europe and the Middle East. The company varied its name and ended up with the name "Ionian Steam Ship company - Yannoulatos"
1929-1939

Under the leadership of Panayis Yannoulatos, son of Antonios, in 1929, five large companies were merged into "The Steam Ship Company of Greece S.A." also known as AKTEL (Aktoploia tis Ellados A.E.), another two companies joined the group later on.

The merger was based on the point of avoiding harsh competition, which if it had continued, it would have ruined most of the companies.

Panayis Yannoulatos and Athanassios Manouelides were the managers of AKTEL. the 38 ships of the newly merged company accounted for about 90% of the then coastal Greek steam ship fleet and provided exemplary domestic services till October 1940.

Between 1929 and 1939, AKTEL sold the older ships, renewing the fleet with more modern ships and linked besides Piraeus, also Thessaloniki and Volos with the Middle East Ports. Regular Domestic Services included calls to even insignificant ports and the network of sea transportation that was established was something unknown till then for Greece.

The company was also a pioneer in Cruising Services for Tourists, when the steam ship Hellas ex Ira.M was tranformed into a cruise vessel which performed Touristic Services in the Mediterranean between 1935 and 28 October 1940.

On the 6th of March 1939, the shareholders of AKTEL established HML - Hellenic Mediterranean Lines Co. by separating the activities of AKTEL into Domestic Services and the activities of HML into International Services. The reason of separation was that Domestic Services were not profitable enough to support better and newer ships whereas the Mediterranean Services had to compete against foreign, State supported companies, such as Italy, where the companies were able to operate modern newly build ships. The non-domestic market was challenging, needed skill and innovation but also seemed potentially very profitable.
1939-1940

HML was to serve all the non-domestic lines. The new company began operations with the following fleet:

* Corithia,
* Ionia,
* Attiki,
* Andros,
* Thrace,
* Kerkyra and
* Lemnos.

The ships operated between Marseilles, Piraeus, Egypt, Cyprus, Lebanon and Palestine. In May of 1939, dictator Ioannis Metaxas, enforced all domestic lines ships to be part of a common body called KDAS. In August 1940 the Greek State, in view of the comming attack from Italy, took command by requisition of most domestic and mediterranean trading Greek passenger ships.
1940-1960

On 28th October 1940, 13 ships of AKTEL and 5 ships of HML, were commanded by the Greek State. During the Greco-German War, almost all of the ships of AKTEL and HML were sunk in Greek waters as a result of enemy attacks. Most were sunk between 6 and 27 April 1941.

In 1960 HML bought from the NTOG (National Tourist Organization of Greece) Ferry Boat Egnatia for $3.200.000, when General Secretary of NTIO was Nicolaos Fokas and HML was the only bidder for the ferry -the first of its kind. The ship was built in Le Havre, France, 15th February 1960 and delivered to HML 18th July 1960 for immediate trading between Patras-Igoumenitsa-Corfu and Brindisi.
1960-1970

Adriatica di Navigazioni of Venice, in 1961 added to the line the newly built ferry Appia, which operated in pool with HML's Egnatia for the next few decades, offering great services towards developing tourism to Greece.

The fleet and it's business has continued to grow and prosper since then..