Travellers arriving at Cyprus’ busiest gateway on the morning of 13 January were greeted by unusually quiet kerbside lanes after Larnaca’s district taxi union staged a four-hour walk-out from 07:00 to 11:00. The action, backed by the Pancyprian Federation of Urban Taxis, is the first salvo in an escalating dispute over what drivers call the “lawless” spread of ride-hailing platforms such as Bolt and Uber at the airport.
Union leaders say the apps are allowing vehicles licensed in other districts to poach lucrative airport fares, eroding income for local permit-holders who must shoulder higher compliance costs. They want regulators to geofence Larnaca International Airport so that only taxis registered in the district can accept app-based bookings and pick-ups. “We are not against technology,” spokesman Giorgos Makris told the Cyprus News Agency, “but the current situation is criminal. The airport has become a centre of lawlessness.”(cyprus-mail.com)
While the labour dispute centres on ground transport, travellers should not overlook entry formalities. Online service VisaHQ can fast-track Cyprus visa applications, offer real-time guidance on documentation requirements and help reroute journeys through alternative airports without breaching visa conditions—crucial when strikes force last-minute itinerary changes. More information is available at https://www.visahq.com/cyprus/.
![Four-Hour Taxi Strike at Larnaca Airport Signals Escalating Showdown Over Ride-Hailing Apps]()
The transport ministry has so far urged restraint, warning that strike action risks harming tourism and Cyprus’ international image at a sensitive time—just days into the island’s six-month presidency of the Council of the EU. Yet drivers have already filed notice of a 24-hour strike on 20 January and an open-ended shutdown from 28 January if their demands are ignored. With Larnaca handling about two-thirds of Cyprus’ commercial air traffic, a prolonged stoppage could disrupt winter charter programmes, business trips and crew changes in the busy shipping sector.
Corporate mobility managers are advising employees to pre-book private shuttles, use hotel transfer services or route itineraries through Paphos (PFO), where operations remain normal. Travel-risk firms are also flagging the need to pad journey times to meet onward connections, as congestion is likely when taxis return to work. Ride-hailing companies, for their part, argue that digital platforms improve service quality and pricing transparency and that EU rules on freedom to provide services prevent the outright territorial bans drivers are seeking.
The stand-off illustrates the growing pains that many airports face as traditional taxi concessions collide with app-based mobility models. For Cyprus, the outcome will shape first-mile connectivity for hundreds of thousands of business travellers expected during the EU presidency semester, making rapid resolution a priority for policymakers.
Union leaders say the apps are allowing vehicles licensed in other districts to poach lucrative airport fares, eroding income for local permit-holders who must shoulder higher compliance costs. They want regulators to geofence Larnaca International Airport so that only taxis registered in the district can accept app-based bookings and pick-ups. “We are not against technology,” spokesman Giorgos Makris told the Cyprus News Agency, “but the current situation is criminal. The airport has become a centre of lawlessness.”(cyprus-mail.com)
While the labour dispute centres on ground transport, travellers should not overlook entry formalities. Online service VisaHQ can fast-track Cyprus visa applications, offer real-time guidance on documentation requirements and help reroute journeys through alternative airports without breaching visa conditions—crucial when strikes force last-minute itinerary changes. More information is available at https://www.visahq.com/cyprus/.
The transport ministry has so far urged restraint, warning that strike action risks harming tourism and Cyprus’ international image at a sensitive time—just days into the island’s six-month presidency of the Council of the EU. Yet drivers have already filed notice of a 24-hour strike on 20 January and an open-ended shutdown from 28 January if their demands are ignored. With Larnaca handling about two-thirds of Cyprus’ commercial air traffic, a prolonged stoppage could disrupt winter charter programmes, business trips and crew changes in the busy shipping sector.
Corporate mobility managers are advising employees to pre-book private shuttles, use hotel transfer services or route itineraries through Paphos (PFO), where operations remain normal. Travel-risk firms are also flagging the need to pad journey times to meet onward connections, as congestion is likely when taxis return to work. Ride-hailing companies, for their part, argue that digital platforms improve service quality and pricing transparency and that EU rules on freedom to provide services prevent the outright territorial bans drivers are seeking.
The stand-off illustrates the growing pains that many airports face as traditional taxi concessions collide with app-based mobility models. For Cyprus, the outcome will shape first-mile connectivity for hundreds of thousands of business travellers expected during the EU presidency semester, making rapid resolution a priority for policymakers.
