Travellers using Pafos International Airport have been warned to brace for significant first-mile disruptions after the professional drivers’ union “Agios Leontios” issued a 23 September strike notice. Unless their demands on parking allocations and access fees are met, the union says its members will block the airport taxi rank from 09:00 on Friday, 25 September, and stay out until further notice. The row centres on a new concession scheme introduced by Hermes Airports that reallocates pick-up bays between licensed airport taxis and on-demand ride-hailing companies. Drivers argue that the changes unfairly favour app-based operators, forcing traditional cabs to queue on the perimeter road where shade and sanitary facilities are limited. They are also opposing a proposed €4 increase in the annual landside access fee, saying airport traffic has not yet returned to pre-pandemic levels and margins remain razor-thin outside the summer high season. Pafos handled 3.3 million passengers last year—about one-third of Cyprus’ air traffic—and is a critical entry point for package-tour markets in Poland, Israel and the UK. An indefinite taxi stoppage could leave arriving passengers scrambling for alternatives, especially in the late-evening arrival bank when scheduled bus services are sparse. Tour operators have started alerting clients to pre-book transfers, and corporate travel managers with staff rotations on Friday have been urged to arrange hire cars or private shuttles in advance. Hermes Airports says it is open to dialogue but insists that space constraints require a more dynamic allocation model. The Deputy Ministry of Transport has invited both sides to a mediation meeting on Thursday afternoon. If talks fail, employers will need to monitor contingency costs: a 25-kilometre hotel transfer that normally costs €25 could surge beyond €60 if supply dries up, and duty-of-care policies may compel companies to arrange guaranteed pick-ups for late-night arrivals. From an immigration-compliance angle, authorities confirm that any taxi blockade will not affect border control or customs operations inside the terminal. However, extended landside congestion could complicate the collection of arriving foreign assignees by HR teams, and employers should build extra time into mobility schedules over the weekend.
Source: CyprNews
