Mykonos to Santorini
Helicopter Charter
Mykonos to Santorini is about 30 minutes by helicopter, 63 nautical miles south across the Cyclades from the Mykonos airport pad or a beach club helipad to the caldera, on a single or twin-engine helicopter. It is the island hop the desk flies most in a Greek summer, because both airports give a jet forty minutes on the ground and no parking, and the ferry takes two to three hours. Same time zone at both ends.
Reviewed by Kevin Singh, Founder · Fact-checked against Icarus Jet fleet and airport operations data · Last updated 11 September 2026
Route overview
Airport and airspace facts checked against the Hellenic Civil Aviation Authority publications and Icarus Jet operations data.
Get your number
Get a number for your dates
Tell us the dates, the passengers and where you are on each island. The desk quotes the helicopter that fits the group, secures the pads at both ends, and tells you the luggage allowance before you book.
Prefer to talk? Call +1 888 277 7203. The desk is staffed 24/7.
The route
Why fly by helicopter from Mykonos to Santorini?
Mykonos to Santorini is the island hop on the Mykonos desk: 63 nautical miles, about 30 minutes in the air, and an arrival over the caldera that no ferry gives you. In season the two airports are the most slot-constrained in Greece, a jet gets forty minutes on the ground at either one and no parking, and the ferry between them takes two to three hours with the luggage. The helicopter lifts from the Mykonos airport pad or from Ornos, Kalo Livadi or Scorpios, and lands at the Santorini airport helipad or a hotel pad on the rim.
Why the helicopter works here
Lift from Mykonos from the airport pad, where an arriving jet has dropped you, or from a beach club helipad with the venue's approval, and land on Santorini with the approach over the volcano and the white villages on the rim. No slot to fight for, no ferry from the new port, and the same helicopter takes you on to Paros, Naxos, Ios or back to Athens later in the week.
Helicopter or aircraft
A single-engine helicopter carries four with light luggage in about 30 minutes and is the usual answer for a couple or a small group. A twin-engine helicopter carries six to eight with more luggage and two engines over the sea crossing; some passengers choose it for the second engine alone. A fixed-wing hop between the two airports is possible outside the season, but in July and August the slot rules at both ends make it the harder plan, not the easier one.
Advisor note
Mykonos to Santorini is the sector where the helicopter is the sensible aircraft, not the luxury. Mykonos gives a jet a slot from 14 days out with the airlines first and forty minutes on the ramp; Santorini does the same between 0500Z and 1800Z. A helicopter needs neither, lifts from a beach club if the club has a pad, and lands on the rim if the hotel has one. The planning is daylight, weight and the venue approvals, and we secure the pads before we quote.
Icarus Jet charter deskCost
What determines the cost of a Mykonos to Santorini helicopter charter?
A thirty-minute island hop is priced on the helicopter, the two landings, the trip shape and the dates. These are the things that move the number on Mykonos to Santorini.
Helicopter or turboprop
A single-engine helicopter carries four with light luggage; a twin-engine carries six to eight and flies over water with two engines. A King Air or Caravan turboprop carries more luggage into the island airports that have a runway. The desk quotes whichever suits the group and the landing.
The landings
The airport pads at both ends are the simplest. A beach club pad on Mykonos and a hotel pad on the Santorini rim each need the venue's approval and sometimes a landing fee, and the desk secures both before it quotes.
One way or a day
Most passengers fly it one way as the next leg of the week. A day trip to Santorini keeps the helicopter with you, subject to daylight, and the desk prices the shape that fits.
Slots, helipads and daylight
Athens is Level 3 slot coordinated, the island airports are coordinated in season, and private helipads at beach clubs and hotels need the venue's approval. Helicopters on the islands operate sunrise to sunset. The desk files the slots and secures the helipad before it quotes.
The season
July and August are the tightest weeks for helicopters in the Cyclades and for pad approvals at both ends. Those dates book four to six weeks ahead; May, June, September and October are easier and the light over the caldera is softer.
What the number covers
We tell you what the quote covers before you book and we hold the operator to the number we gave you. No surprises on the invoice is the point of using the desk.
Aircraft
Which helicopter flies Mykonos to Santorini?
Three answers cover almost every Mykonos to Santorini trip.
Airbus H130 and H125 class
Four passengers with light luggage, about 30 minutes island to island, and the usual answer for a couple or a small group.
Airbus H145 and AW109 class
Six to eight passengers with more luggage, two engines for the sea crossing, and the choice for a larger party or anyone who wants the redundancy.
The rest of the Cyclades
From Mykonos the same helicopters reach Paros, Naxos, Ios, Schinousa and Patmos, and Athens in about 50 minutes, as day trips or as the legs of a week.
See the helicopters we broker for the range by cabin.
Before you fly
What should I know before flying Mykonos to Santorini by helicopter?
It is a domestic flight within Greece, so there is no customs. Bring passports or EU ID; the crew checks them at the aircraft. Helicopter baggage is by weight and size, and the desk tells you the allowance for the type when it quotes.
Mykonos Airport is where the jet drops you and the helicopter picks you up. A single 6,244 foot runway at 405 feet with Category 7 fire cover, Level 3 slots that can only be requested 14 days out with scheduled operators first, prior permission, mandatory handling, forty minutes on the ground and no parking from May to September, and the meltemi on the approach. The helicopter pad at the airport, and the pads at Ornos, Kalo Livadi and Scorpios, are how the island works in summer.
Santorini Airport is shared with the Air Force and slotted. A 7,208 foot runway at 127 feet with Category 7 fire cover, Level 3 slots, prior permission, mandatory handling and, in season, forty minutes on the ground between 0500Z and 1800Z with no parking. The helicopter lands at the airport helipad or, with the hotel's approval, on a pad on the caldera rim.
Daylight, weight and the wind. Helicopters on the islands operate sunrise to sunset, so a late airline arrival into Mykonos can miss the last lift and the desk plans around it. Luggage is by weight: light bags for four on a single-engine, more on a twin-engine, and the desk tells you the allowance for the type when it quotes. The meltemi can delay a lift on a strong afternoon; mornings are calmer.
When to go
When is the best time to fly Mykonos to Santorini?
May to October is the season. July and August are the tightest weeks of the year for helicopters in the Cyclades and for pad approvals at the clubs and the rim hotels, and book four to six weeks ahead. May, June, September and October give the same crossing with easier availability, calmer air and softer light over the caldera.
Outside the season the forty-minute limits lift at both airports and a few days of notice is comfortable, with the weather over the sea deciding the day.
Related
Mykonos and Santorini airport guides
Both fields this sector uses, with runways, slots, helipads and history on their own guides.
Questions
Mykonos to Santorini helicopter questions
How long is a helicopter flight from Mykonos to Santorini?
About 25 to 35 minutes depending on the helicopter and the wind. The sector is 63 nautical miles south across the Cyclades. The ferry takes two to three hours.
Where does the helicopter leave from on Mykonos?
From the helipad at Mykonos Airport, where an arriving jet has dropped you, or from a beach club pad at Ornos, Kalo Livadi or Scorpios with the venue's approval. The desk secures the pad before it quotes.
Where does the helicopter land on Santorini?
At the airport helipad, or on a hotel pad on the caldera rim with the hotel's approval. The approach comes in over the volcano and the white villages.
Why not fly a jet between Mykonos and Santorini?
Because in season both airports give a jet a Level 3 slot, prior permission and forty minutes on the ground with no parking, and Mykonos slots can only be requested 14 days out with the airlines first. The helicopter needs none of it.
How many passengers can the helicopter carry?
A single-engine helicopter such as an H130 carries four with light luggage. A twin-engine such as an H145 or AW109 carries six to eight with more luggage.
Single-engine or twin-engine?
A single-engine helicopter is the usual and more economical answer for a couple or a small group. A twin-engine carries more and gives a second engine over the sea crossing, which some passengers prefer for the redundancy alone. The desk quotes both.
Can the helicopter fly after dark?
No. Helicopters on the Greek islands operate sunrise to sunset. A late airline arrival into Mykonos can miss the last lift, so tell the desk your arrival time and it plans around it, with a hotel night as the fallback.
What determines the cost of a Mykonos to Santorini helicopter?
The helicopter type, whether the landings are the airport pads or club and hotel pads with their fees, whether it is one way or a day trip, and the dates against July and August. We tell you what the quote covers before you book.
Can I fly Santorini to Mykonos on the same page?
Yes. The sector is quoted in both directions, with the helicopter positioning in for the pickup at the airport pad or the hotel pad, inside daylight.
Can I continue from Santorini or Mykonos to other islands?
Yes. Paros, Naxos, Ios, Schinousa and Patmos are short hops, and Athens is about 50 minutes from Mykonos. The desk quotes the whole week as one itinerary.
How much luggage can I take?
Light luggage for four on a single-engine helicopter, more on a twin-engine. Helicopters are limited by weight, so give the desk accurate passenger and bag weights and it confirms the allowance for the type.
How much notice do I need to book Mykonos to Santorini?
Four to six weeks in July and August, when the helicopters and the pad approvals both tighten. A few days is comfortable in the shoulder months and outside the season.
Other routes
Other routes from the Mykonos desk
Sectors the same desk quotes every week, each with its own guide to the airports, the aircraft and the timing.
Get your number
Mykonos to Santorini, quoted from the desk
Give us the dates, the passengers and where you are on each island. You will get the helicopter that fits the group, both pads secured and a number you can hold us to.
Get a number for your datesPrefer to talk? Call +1 888 277 7203 or email charter@icarusjet.com, or send the trip online. The desk is staffed 24/7.