Naxos: air evacuation of 59-year-old crew member

A 59-year-old crew member of the ship ‘Express Skopelitis’ was airlifted from Naxos to Athens General Hospital ‘Laiko’, according to a report published on Saturday 29 August 2026. The 59-year-old, who worked as a cabin steward on the ship, required emergency hospitalisation, prompting the decision for air transfer to Athens. Naxos Port Authority managed the case in cooperation with the Hellenic Coast Guard, the competent services that coordinated the patient transfer process to the receiving hospital in the capital.

The report does not state the diagnosis or reason that made the man’s emergency transfer necessary, nor does it specify the exact time when the health problem occurred. The airlift was carried out as part of the standard procedure followed when a patient’s condition on an island is deemed to require hospitalisation at a hospital with greater capabilities than those available at local health facilities. The 59-year-old remains, according to the report, under medical supervision at the receiving hospital in Athens, with no further public update on his condition having been given by the authorities.

‘Express Skopelitis’ regularly serves the Minor Cyclades, connecting islands such as Herakleia, Schinoussa, Koufonissia and Amorgos with Naxos, in an area where health facilities are limited and fully-equipped hospitals are often far away. On these islands, airlifts are a key tool for handling emergencies, as sea transfer to hospital can take many hours, especially outside regular routes or in bad weather. The presence of port authorities and cooperation with the Hellenic Coast Guard and rescue air units remain critical for the safety of those living, working or travelling on small Aegean islands, especially during peak summer traffic months, when the number of passengers and crew on ships increases significantly.

No update on the 59-year-old’s health status has been announced since his transfer to ‘Laiko’, nor whether further information will follow from the authorities. Naxos Port Authority has not clarified whether the incident affected the ship’s sailing schedule, at a time that also includes ‘emergency traffic measures at Naxos port’ over the weekend. The case adds to health incidents engaging the port authorities of the island during peak summer traffic, a period that also includes the recent ‘workplace accident and rescue of an employee’ in Naxos, highlighting the critical role of local authorities in emergencies.