Cyprus’ two international gateways—Larnaca (LCA) and Paphos (PFO)—were unusually quiet on 2 January after Greek air-traffic controllers joined a 24-hour nationwide strike that paralysed the Hellenic aviation network. Airport operator Hermes Airports confirmed 27 cancellations at Larnaca and four at Paphos, all on routes to Athens and Thessaloniki, while a further seven rotations were rescheduled outside the strike window.
The walk-out was part of a broader labour action called by Greece’s largest public- and private-sector unions (ADEDY and GSEE) demanding wage hikes, collective-bargaining rights and the restoration of 13th- and 14th-month salaries. Because Cypriot carriers such as Cyprus Airways and Aegean Airlines rely on Greek flight information regions for navigation services, even flights that merely overfly Greek airspace were forced to adjust schedules or add fuel for holding patterns.
Amid such volatility, travellers and corporates can benefit from working with specialist visa facilitators. VisaHQ, for example, offers Cyprus-based clients an online platform (https://www.visahq.com/cyprus/) that provides real-time visa requirements, expedited document processing and passport renewals—services that prove invaluable when itineraries have to be rewritten at short notice due to strikes or air-space closures.
![Greek Air-Traffic-Controller Strike Cancels 31 Flights Linking Cyprus and Greece]()
For mobility managers the disruption was a stress-test of contingency planning at the start of the new business year. EU261 compensation rules applied, but many travellers opted for re-routing via Istanbul or Middle-East hubs, illustrating the importance of multi-ticket strategies. Freight forwarders moving perishable pharmaceuticals from Cypriot free-zones to central Europe also reported delays as belly-hold capacity evaporated.
Although operations resumed on 3 January, unions warned of rolling strikes if negotiations stall. Corporates with commuter assignees between Cyprus and Greece should therefore maintain flexible booking classes and monitor NOTAMs issued by Greece’s Civil Aviation Authority.
The incident highlights how industrial relations in a neighbouring state can ripple through Cyprus’ connectivity, reinforcing the need for diversified routing and robust travel-risk communications.
The walk-out was part of a broader labour action called by Greece’s largest public- and private-sector unions (ADEDY and GSEE) demanding wage hikes, collective-bargaining rights and the restoration of 13th- and 14th-month salaries. Because Cypriot carriers such as Cyprus Airways and Aegean Airlines rely on Greek flight information regions for navigation services, even flights that merely overfly Greek airspace were forced to adjust schedules or add fuel for holding patterns.
Amid such volatility, travellers and corporates can benefit from working with specialist visa facilitators. VisaHQ, for example, offers Cyprus-based clients an online platform (https://www.visahq.com/cyprus/) that provides real-time visa requirements, expedited document processing and passport renewals—services that prove invaluable when itineraries have to be rewritten at short notice due to strikes or air-space closures.
For mobility managers the disruption was a stress-test of contingency planning at the start of the new business year. EU261 compensation rules applied, but many travellers opted for re-routing via Istanbul or Middle-East hubs, illustrating the importance of multi-ticket strategies. Freight forwarders moving perishable pharmaceuticals from Cypriot free-zones to central Europe also reported delays as belly-hold capacity evaporated.
Although operations resumed on 3 January, unions warned of rolling strikes if negotiations stall. Corporates with commuter assignees between Cyprus and Greece should therefore maintain flexible booking classes and monitor NOTAMs issued by Greece’s Civil Aviation Authority.
The incident highlights how industrial relations in a neighbouring state can ripple through Cyprus’ connectivity, reinforcing the need for diversified routing and robust travel-risk communications.
