- A new company, Hoper, offers scheduled helicopter flights to 11 Greek destinations.
- The flights drastically reduce travel time compared to traditional ferries, which can take up to six hours.
- More companies are offering premium ride-hailing options, such as Blade and Uber’s helicopter services.
Visitors to the Greek islands can now fly to some of the country’s most remote destinations in less than 45 minutes.
Athens-based helicopter company Hoper, which 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 location. A 48-minute flight from Athens to Mykonos, without 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 several islands, adding to the travel time. For example, ferry trips from Athens to Mykonos start at $46 and can take up to six hours.
Hoper also offers helicopter charter flights for the same routes.
Helicopter companies around the world are increasingly offering flights — chartered or scheduled — to people willing to pay a premium to cut down on time spent traveling. Locals don’t always appreciate the extra noise, however. New York City is eyeing helicopter regulations after noise complaints spiked in 2023 compared with the previous year.
Earlier this week, six of Marriott’s most popular hotels luxury hotels in New York City said they are offering it for free helicopter airport transfers for some of their highest paying guests.
The flights will be operated by Blade, a private helicopter services company launched in 2014. Operating in New York, Southern California and the Bay Area, Blade sells private or shared rides to airports and places like the Hamptons.
Blade competes with Uber’s helicopter services and new entrants like Archer and Volocopter, part of a growing industry betting on the popularization of air taxis.
Do you live in Greece and have any thoughts on helicopters or other “air taxis” becoming more popular? Contact this reporter: shubhangigoel@insider.com
