- The new company, Hopar, offers scheduled helicopter flights to 11 destinations in Greece.
- Air travel significantly cuts travel times compared to traditional ferries, which can take up to six hours.
- More and more companies are offering premium travel options, such as Blade and Uber helicopter services.
Visitors to the Greek islands can now fly to some of Greece’s most remote destinations in under 45 minutes.
Athens-based helicopter company Hopar, which launched this summer, is the first of its kind to allow customers to book scheduled flights to 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 your location. A 48-minute flight from Athens to Mykonos without luggage will cost about $440 until the end of August, according to the Hoppers website.
“Hoper enables travel in minutes instead of hours, allowing travelers to earn up to one day off,” Hoper CEO Demetris Memos said in a press release last month.
Greek ferries tend to stop at multiple islands and journey times are longer – for example, a ferry from Athens to Mykonos costs from $46 and takes up to six hours.
Haupar also offers charter helicopter flights on the same route.
Helicopter companies around the world are increasingly offering charter and scheduled flights for people willing to pay extra to cut travel time. But locals don’t always like the extra noise. New York City is considering restricting helicopters in 2023 after a spike in noise complaints compared to the previous year.
Earlier this week, Marriott’s Luxury Free in New York City helicopter We offer airport transfers to some of our higher paying guests.
The flight will be operated by Blade, a private helicopter service company founded in 2014. Operating in New York, Southern California and the Bay Area, Blade sells private and shared rides to airports, the Hamptons and other locations.
Blade competes with Uber’s helicopter service and startups such as Archer and Volocopter, and is part of a fast-growing industry betting that flying taxis will become more mainstream.
Do you live in Greece and think helicopters and other “flying taxis” might become more common? Contact this reporter: shubhangigoel@insider.com
