The airline competes with two other island hoppers, Aloha Airlines and Mid-Pacific Airlines, which both changed hands in separate, friendly buyouts since 1986.

The three companies running ferries to the island are critical to the economy - most of the town's income is from ferry jobs and island hoppers' spending on State Street, where the docks are located next to rows of renovated turn-of-the-century storefronts housing bookstores, cafes and, of course, ubiquitous fudge shops.

And yet there it was, large as life, sitting right next to the Lear jets and antiquated island hoppers.

Its position, smack in the middle of the archipelago - and the first stop for nearly all ferries leaving from the mainland - has always made Paros the perfect jumping-off point for island hoppers.

But hardly any of the island hoppers hop off.

This is still possible on Mondays, but Wednesday which was a very popular day for one-day island hoppers is not an option for 2013, the trip will not come back they say.

And the fishing town of Krabi, departure hub for island hoppers, is getting a Jia Hotel, run by the Hong Kong upstart that built the first Philippe Starck-designed hotel in Asia last year.

There is an excellent archaeological museum, and island hoppers can visit Vulcano, Stromboli and Panarea.

Traditional, family run, budget hotel; a touch of nostalgia for former island hoppers.