Μake us preferred on Google Tax inspectors have launched sweeping checks into the ownership and operation of premium airborne transport as well as the tax obligations of the companies operating helicopters in the country, after a series of illegal landings on Greek islands over the recent period.
The investigation, conducted by the Independent Authority for Public Revenue’s (AADE), reportedly found that a Greek-registered helicopter that recently made an unauthorized landing on a Cyclades island is owned by a Cyprus-based company and that a nonprofit association in Greece listed as its purported lessee. Yet another company, based at an airport in the greater Athens area, which advertises air transport and pilot training, is listed as its operator.
Inspectors found a discrepancy between the helicopter’s actual use, including its leasing to third parties, and the issuance of corresponding revenue tax documents. Tax violations exceeding 300,000 euros were confirmed, according to the investigation.
The checks follow a series of incidents involving private helicopters landing in unauthorized locations on Greek islands.
On Aug. 7, a private helicopter landed at the famed Sarakiniko on the Cyclades island of Milos while the popular beach was crowded with beachgoers. The incident prompted an investigation into the flight plan and whether the landing complied with regulations governing licensed heliports, as well as a prosecutor inquiry.
A photograph of the helicopter incident on Milos.
The incident at Milos generated public criticism over the safety implications of helicopter landings in areas crowded with visitors and renewed scrutiny of the operation of private aircraft at tourist destinations.
On Aug. 17, a private Bell 206 helicopter crashed near the heliport in the Tholos area of the Cyclades island of Sifnos, killing the Greek pilot and two British newlyweds who had chartered the aircraft for their honeymoon.
Smoke billows from the site of a helicopter crash on the island of Sifnos, Greece, August 17, 2026. Handout via Reuters.Meanwhile, AADE inspectors are also investigating an incident on the island of Spetses involving a helicopter owned by an Austrian company and operated by a legal entity based in the Athens area.
The company allegedly concealed 25,000 euros in collected value-added tax in August alone. Authorities are cross-checking available information and assessing the commercial and contractual relationships between the legal entity and individuals residing in Greece and abroad.
The investigation is examining both the ownership and operational structures of the helicopters and the tax treatment of their use, amid heightened scrutiny of booming private aviation activity at Greek island destinations.
