Flights disrupted for 2nd day at France-Orly airport after air traffic control breakdown

The Directorate General for Civil Aviation of France (DGAC) says the disruption of flights in and out of the France-Orly airport has continued for a second day due to the airport’s control systems breakdown.

DGAC said in a statement that airlines must reduce their flights to the airport by 15%, a 25% improvement since Sunday when they had to reduce their flights by 40%.

“[We] are fully mobilized to restore normal operations as soon as possible ... the situation is improving … despite these preventive measures, delays are expected,” said the statement.

On Sunday, control systems at France-Orly airport suffered a breakdown that caused substantial disruption to the airport’s traffic.

DGAC has not provided any details about the actual cause of the breakdown but has blamed an air traffic control “malfunction” for the disruption of flights, while an airport source has said there has been a “radar failure.”

The continued breakdown of the control system has stranded thousands of domestic and international passengers across the airport and its vicinity.

“We were in the aircraft, all seated and strapped in, ready to go, when they made us disembark and collect our bags ... then began the ordeal,” said Azgal Abichou, a 63-year-old business owner.

"The only option is a 300 euro flight – and there's only one seat left, but there are two of us and we are not even sure it will take off," said Romane Penault, a 22-year-old student.

According to reports, hundreds of passengers have been sitting in their airplanes, waiting for the flights to take off.

Domestic flights and flights to African and European destinations have been among the ones that have suffered the largest number of cancelations and delays.

After Charles de Gaulle International Airport, Paris-Orly is the second-largest airport in France and handles millions of passengers annually.

According to figures released by the Operator Aeroport de Paris, more than 33 million passengers traveled through Paris-Orly airport last year, about half the number at Paris-Charles-de-Gaulle.

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