Greek island-hopping this summer season: First helicopter airline affords fast entry to Greece’s hidden gems | Journey khabarmasala24.com

Island-hopping in Greece this summer season simply received a little bit simpler. Hoper, the primary helicopter airline in Greece providing scheduled flights, is now promoting tickets to 11 locations, together with harder-to-reach spots like Antiparos, Folegandros, Ios, Kea, Patmos, Sifnos and Spetses. All connect with both Athens, Santorini, or Mykonos, which function the service’s hubs.

Fares begin at €160 ($172) per one-way ticket, however they’ll usually climb greater attributable to demand. On the airline’s web site, such a flight in August from Athens to the superbly rugged island of Tinos at the moment prices €380 for a 42-minute helicopter journey. A ferry journey from Athens on the identical date can take about 4 hours and price €35.

With few islands benefiting from worldwide airport entry, ferries are virtually a requisite for exploring the nation’s most scenic summer season spots; most passengers embark by way of Athens’ most important port, Piraeus. The principle profit to this different is the lowered transit time—the quickest ferry to Santorini from Athens takes greater than 4 hours, versus one hour by chopper—nixing these days of a trip itinerary which are spent solely on getting from one level to a different.

“We flip hours into minutes,” Demitris Memos, chief government officer of Hoper, stated in a press launch. “Vacationers earn as much as a full day of trip.”

Some luxurious resorts such because the newly opened One&Solely Kéa Island do supply helicopter transfers for his or her company at a further price, and time-strapped vacationers have all the time had the choice of reserving helicopters by way of non-public charters. Hoper’s flights, against this, are scheduled—not operated on demand—so that they’re far inexpensive. A non-public constitution from Athens to Mykonos can run €2,775 for a single seat in excessive season. For a household of 4 flying with Hoper, it’s roughly €1,490 at equally peak-demand occasions—a a lot better worth.

The nation’s tourism minister, Olga Kefalogianni, describes the service as a “distinctive step” for Greek tourism. However a ferry may nonetheless be a extra handy possibility on some events. Hoper goes to Mykonos from Athens solely 3 times every week in August, for instance, and there are usually 4 each day ferries in excessive season from Athens.

Hoper’s flights depart from Koropi, a 10-minute drive from Athens Worldwide Airport, which is extra conveniently located than the farther ferry port, some 50 minutes from the airport. The fleet consists of 5 Robinson R44 and R66 helicopters, every with three or 4 passenger seats and cockpits with panoramic home windows to soak up the blue waters of the Mediterranean beneath.

The helicopter airline service to the islands comes as Greece is experiencing an enormous increase in tourism. 2023 was a record-setting 12 months, in response to Greek officers, with practically 33 million guests. This 12 months may beat that file. Tourism accounts for 18% of the nation’s gross home product.