Passengers arriving at Larnaca International on the morning of 2 January faced an unexpected ordeal after the temporary pick-up zone reached full capacity. Police redirected private vehicles to overflow lots, producing tailbacks on the perimeter road and wait times of up to 40 minutes.
Hermes Airports blamed the crunch on a surge of returning holidaymakers and ongoing kerb-side construction that has reduced space by one-third. Ride-hailing drivers circling the terminal instead of staging in the designated holding area exacerbated congestion. Variable-message signs have since been installed to guide drivers to real-time capacity updates, and the operator is considering a pre-booked e-ticket system similar to Heathrow’s.
![Construction Works Create Hour-Long Pick-Up Delays Outside Larnaca Airport]()
For business travellers the incident is a reminder that ground-transport planning matters as much as air schedules. Chauffeur firms with pre-booked landside parking fared better; self-drive assignees were advised to delay pick-up or use short-stay car parks. Mobility teams may want to update arrival briefings to include buffer times during peak construction phases.
Although minor compared with flight cancellations, landside congestion can erode traveller-satisfaction scores and trigger overtime costs for waiting drivers—metrics that corporate travel managers increasingly track. Work is scheduled to finish before the summer peak, but further weekend closures are possible.
Hermes Airports blamed the crunch on a surge of returning holidaymakers and ongoing kerb-side construction that has reduced space by one-third. Ride-hailing drivers circling the terminal instead of staging in the designated holding area exacerbated congestion. Variable-message signs have since been installed to guide drivers to real-time capacity updates, and the operator is considering a pre-booked e-ticket system similar to Heathrow’s.
For business travellers the incident is a reminder that ground-transport planning matters as much as air schedules. Chauffeur firms with pre-booked landside parking fared better; self-drive assignees were advised to delay pick-up or use short-stay car parks. Mobility teams may want to update arrival briefings to include buffer times during peak construction phases.
Although minor compared with flight cancellations, landside congestion can erode traveller-satisfaction scores and trigger overtime costs for waiting drivers—metrics that corporate travel managers increasingly track. Work is scheduled to finish before the summer peak, but further weekend closures are possible.
Source: VisaHQ Global Mobility News
