A fast-moving winter squall lashed Cyprus’ west coast on 21 December, pelting Paphos district with marble-sized hailstones and turning sections of the Limassol–Paphos motorway into an icy white carpet. Police issued an immediate traffic advisory urging motorists to reduce speed, use fog lights and allow extra braking distance—critical instructions for travellers heading to Paphos International Airport (PFO), the island’s second-busiest gateway.
Ground-handling agents suspended ramp operations for 45 minutes at the height of the storm as lightning detectors signalled unsafe conditions for baggage and catering crews. The pause pushed several turn-arounds beyond their planned departure slots, with airlines reporting delays of up to 30 minutes. No flights were cancelled, but passengers were urged to arrive early as flooded feeder roads slowed access to the terminal.
Travellers can reduce the stress of weather-related disruptions by taking care of paperwork well in advance. VisaHQ’s Cyprus platform (https://www.visahq.com/cyprus/) streamlines visa and passport processing, offers real-time status updates and delivers travel alerts that help passengers stay nimble when sudden squalls throw airport schedules into disarray.
![Hailstorm floods access roads to Paphos Airport, delaying departures]()
Paphos Airport is an important low-cost alternative to Larnaca for intra-EU corporate shuttles, and the disruption came at the start of the year-end travel peak when charter volumes spike. Logistics companies moving time-sensitive perishables from nearby agro-parks also experienced knock-on delays, highlighting the vulnerability of Cyprus’ transport links to extreme weather events.
The Department of Meteorology noted that hail events of similar intensity are becoming more frequent, urging airport operators to update severe-weather playbooks and test remote-working capabilities for air-traffic and apron-control teams.
Global mobility managers should factor weather-related ground delays into connection times, particularly for staff transferring at PFO to onward Middle-East flights via Larnaca or Athens.
Ground-handling agents suspended ramp operations for 45 minutes at the height of the storm as lightning detectors signalled unsafe conditions for baggage and catering crews. The pause pushed several turn-arounds beyond their planned departure slots, with airlines reporting delays of up to 30 minutes. No flights were cancelled, but passengers were urged to arrive early as flooded feeder roads slowed access to the terminal.
Travellers can reduce the stress of weather-related disruptions by taking care of paperwork well in advance. VisaHQ’s Cyprus platform (https://www.visahq.com/cyprus/) streamlines visa and passport processing, offers real-time status updates and delivers travel alerts that help passengers stay nimble when sudden squalls throw airport schedules into disarray.
Paphos Airport is an important low-cost alternative to Larnaca for intra-EU corporate shuttles, and the disruption came at the start of the year-end travel peak when charter volumes spike. Logistics companies moving time-sensitive perishables from nearby agro-parks also experienced knock-on delays, highlighting the vulnerability of Cyprus’ transport links to extreme weather events.
The Department of Meteorology noted that hail events of similar intensity are becoming more frequent, urging airport operators to update severe-weather playbooks and test remote-working capabilities for air-traffic and apron-control teams.
Global mobility managers should factor weather-related ground delays into connection times, particularly for staff transferring at PFO to onward Middle-East flights via Larnaca or Athens.
