Greek helicopter operator hoper has announced it will be increasing its program of scheduled helicopter passenger services to 15 popular tourist destinations across the Greek Islands during the northern summer of 2025. The Athens-based operator commenced operations in 2024, flying a fleet of Robinson piston and turbine helicopters on scheduled and charter flights across the Greek island archipelago and offers services to several smaller islands that can only be reached by seaborne ferry, given their lack of space for an airfield.
The operator has a current fleet of five helicopters in its fleet. These include the Robinson R66 turbine-powered aircraft, which can seat up to four passengers plus a pilot. Luggage can be accommodated via a rear cargo compartment. Hoper also operates the R44 piston-powered helicopter that seats three passengers plus a pilot.
During the summer of 2025, the company will offer passenger services from its three helicopter bases located in Athens, Santorini, and Mykonos to 12 other destinations throughout the Greek Islands. These include Anafi, Antiparos, Folegandros, Ios, Kea, Milos, Patmos, Port Heli, Sifnos, Spetses, Syros, and Tinos. During the peak summer season, hoper will operate more than 25 scheduled flights each day, with routes from Athens, Santorini, and Mykonos having the highest frequencies of flights.
In addition to allowing direct bookings, hoper has announced it has teamed up with several leading travel agents, booking platforms, hotel and destination management companies, as well as travel advisor networks to enhance accessibility to its services and offer travelers more flexibility when getting around the Greek islands. By developing a network of both local and international partners such as specialist firms Eclectic Greece and Embark Beyond, hoper says it can provide “an added-value premium service by supporting travel agents in elevating their offering, creating bespoke itineraries and personalised unique travel propositions for their clients.”
Building connections
Additionally, as reported by Travel Daily News, in addition to travel companies, hoper is developing direct commercial relationships with a handful of luxury hotels and resorts across the Greek Islands, such as the Kalesma Mykonos (owned by the Kyvernitis Group) and the Verina on the island of Sifnos to enhance access to the islands as well as add value to the traveler holiday experience by adding in speeder and more scenic transfers by air.
“I am immensely proud to support hoper’s groundbreaking approach to transforming travel in Greece,” says George Kyvernitis, CEO of Kyvernitis Group. “In a market where traditional destinations are often characterized by short distances and challenging accessibility, hoper’s innovative, scheduled-helicopter service is truly a game-changer. By harnessing cutting-edge technology and forging strategic partnerships across travel agencies, booking platforms, and destination management companies, hoper is not only simplifying the journey between our iconic islands but also elevating the overall travel experience”.
“Furthermore, Eclectic Greece, which has strong connections within mid-to-high end markets, especially in the United States, is keenly focused on enhancing traditional island hopping. We see the integration of hoper’s service as a vital evolution in creating bespoke itineraries and personalized travel propositions, reinforcing our commitment to quality and innovation. We believe that hoper is here to change the way we access our traditional destinations, setting a new benchmark for premium travel experiences in Greece.”
Elsewhere, hoper has also announced it has penned agreements with several leading booking platforms such as Ferryscanner and Liknoss, two of Europe’s leading sea ferry ticket distribution companies, which will allow for a simpler booking experience connecting hoper services with even more operators travel agents, whilst also providing hotels with a back-end booking platform for guests. Lastly, hoper has teamed up with Viator, a leading travel experience provider, to broaden its global reach even further.
It has been a long time since helicopter services in Greece were operated by national airline Olympic Airways using its Sud Aviation Super Frelon helicopters to transport holidaymakers from the Greek mainland to the outlying islands. Several decades on, and hoper is aiming to create a new market for itself by saving travelers the sometimes long and arduous transfer by sea to their luxury resort.
