- A new company, Hopper, offers regular helicopter flights to 11 Greek destinations.
- Flights significantly reduce travel time compared to traditional ferries, which can take up to six hours.
- More and more companies are offering premium travel options, such as helicopter services from Blade and Uber.
Greek islanders can now fly to some of the country’s most remote destinations in less than 45 minutes.
Athens-based helicopter company Hoper, launched this summer, is the first to allow customers to book scheduled flights to and from 11 destinations. Visitors can fly from Athens, Mykonos and Santorini to other islands such as Antiparos, Spetses and Tinos.
One-way fares start at $195 and can go up to about $380, depending on the destination. A 48-minute flight from Athens to Mykonos, without any luggage, costs nearly $440 for late August, according to Hoper’s website.
“With Hoper, we turn hours into minutes and travelers gain up to a full day of vacation,” Hoper CEO Demitris Memos said in a press release last month.
Ferry services in Greece tend to stop at multiple islands, increasing the journey time. For example, ferry trips from Athens to Mykonos start at $46 and can take up to six hours.
Hoper also offers chartered helicopter flights for the same routes.
Around the world, helicopter companies are increasingly offering chartered and scheduled flights to people willing to pay extra to reduce their travel time. But residents don’t always appreciate the extra noise. New York City is considering regulating helicopters after noise complaints soared in 2023 compared with the previous year.
Earlier this week, six of Marriott’s biggest names luxury hotels In New York they said they were offering it for free helicopter airport transfers to some of their highest paying clients.
The flights will be operated by Blade, a private helicopter service company launched in 2014. Operating in New York, Southern California and the San Francisco Bay Area, Blade sells private or shared rides to airports and locations like the Hamptons.
Blade competes with Uber’s helicopter services and new players like Archer and Volocopter, part of a booming industry banking on the widespread use of air taxis.
Do you live in Greece and have thoughts on the growing popularity of helicopters or other “air taxis”? Contact this reporter: shubhangigoel@insider.com
