Helicopter Taxi from Sorrento to Capri: Further Environmental Impact on the Island

At a time in history when we are being asked to limit short flights, reduce maritime traffic, think about more sustainable tourism and protect fragile coasts, in a few days a tourist flight service will begin between Sorrento and the island of Capri. Yes, precisely towards the Italian location with the highest tourist density index: more than Rome, Florence and Venice. The island already suffocated by the presence of 50 thousand visitors per day, whose photos of tourists crowded in line on the dock of Marina Piccola have gone around the world. A symbolic image of Italian overtourism. Right here, instead of thinking about strategies to reduce queues and consumption, the next step is to start a helicopter taxi service.

10 minutes of flight, up to 75 kilos of CO2

Now tourists will also arrive by air with a flight of just 30 kilometers by helicopter flying over breathtaking views, between cliffs and the Mediterranean. But with a high environmental cost. A luxury with a high ecological footprint . Because even if it is a short journey, it will last about 15 minutes - each flight pollutes, produces noise, disturbs the local fauna. Translated into terms of Co2 emissions, this means about 75 kilos of carbon dioxide released into the atmosphere. Each way. A figure that is far from negligible if you imagine how many flights there will be, round trip, between Sorrento and Capri. An area heavily congested in the summer months by tourism that has already sent water, waste and local transport into chaos.

And this summer, according to forecasts, around 5 million visitors will arrive on the Amalfi Coast and Sorrento Peninsula alone. It is no coincidence that flights are scheduled from July 26 to August 24, 2025 , coinciding with the high tourist season.

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The Uber Idea

The idea, above all environmental considerations, came to Uber, already active with similar services in New York and Brazil. A reservation costs 250 euros per passenger: six seats available for each flight. " In terms of environmental impact, it is like traveling 300 kilometers by car, but to cover only 30 kilometers of flight - explain the environmentalists from Campania - you cannot think of solving the traffic congestion problems in this way, it is just a marketing operation reserved for a small elite. In an area already stressed by tourist traffic and limited water resources, the introduction of exclusive flights risks worsening the situation especially in Capri".

The island already suffocated by tourism

The island (just 10 square kilometers with just over 13 thousand residents) sees up to 50 thousand visitors disembark every summer per day with peaks of 12 thousand people every three hours, a number almost similar to that of residents . 91% arrive in the morning and leave at sunset. Kilometer-long queues form every hour at the funicular that connects Marina Grande to the square and to go towards the docks to get on hydrofoils and ferries, while roads and alleys become impassable with pressure in the management of public services, especially water and waste.

Wild pleasure boating

The topic is hot, very hot indeed. For some time the mayor and environmentalists have been asking to halve the landings to regulate the flows and manage a more sustainable tourism. The blue island is paying the consequences of disorderly flows, summarized by the photos of wild pleasure boating within reach of Faraglioni, and of an often complex relationship with residents. The summer of 2025 seems to be heading towards a repeat of that of 2024. So while waiting for solutions, tourists will not only come from the sea but also from the sky. Flying over the Faraglioni and also over the fragile existence of the island and its ecosystem. Until next summer.