Resilient Port Operations in Limassol Port, Cyprus: Evaluating the Impact of Global Disruptions on Short Sea Shipping

This study examines the operational resilience of Limassol Port, Cyprus’s primary maritime hub, amid disruptions caused mainly by the COVID-19 pandemic. Utilizing high-resolution port-level data from 2018 to 2025, we evaluate performance across five key performance indicators: port calls, anchorage utilization, berth utilization, waiting times, and arrival punctuality. The analysis adopts a longitudinal approach, spanning pre-pandemic, peak-pandemic, post-pandemic, and recent phases, while differentiating impacts across vessel categories. Unlike many regional ports, Limassol’s cruise sector exhibited unique counter-cyclical growth, with calls doubling during the pandemic as the port transitioned into a strategic safe haven and repositioning base. This surge normalized over the 2024–2025 period as temporary operational disruptions resolved. Conversely, container and Ro-Ro (roll-on/roll-off) segments demonstrated robust stability, achieving rapid post-pandemic normalization, while bulk and tanker operations exhibited higher volatility linked to shifting commodity demands. These findings, validated through one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) and Cohen’s d effect sizes, underscore the adaptive capacity of mid-sized Mediterranean hubs. The study concludes that operational flexibility, coupled with enhanced digital coordination and strategic capacity planning, is essential for maintaining the resilience of short sea shipping networks during global crises.