On Sunday, Paris Orly Airport in France was forced to cancel about 40% of its flights due to a control tower malfunction, affecting 130 flights and leaving thousands of passengers scrambling to find alternative transportation.
Orly Airport is the second busiest aviation hub in Paris. A spokesperson for the Paris Airports Group, which manages the airport, stated that approximately 40% of departing or arriving flights were canceled that day.
The French civil aviation authority attributed the issue to a malfunction in the Orly Airport control tower's air traffic control system on Sunday afternoon, leading to a significant reduction in the number of flights.
Reported Radar System Malfunction
Aviation sources revealed that the chaos at the airport was caused by a radar system malfunction.
The airport spokesperson indicated that of the 130 canceled flights, departing and arriving flights were roughly equal in number.
Affected flights included not only French domestic routes but also flights to other European destinations and North Africa. The French civil aviation authority did not specify whether flights would return to normal on Monday.
Orly Airport offers both domestic and international flights, including routes to most European countries and the United States.
33 Million Passengers Used Orly Airport Last Year
On Sunday, flights to Spain, Denmark, Saudi Arabia, Italy, Germany, Austria, the Netherlands, Ireland, and several French cities were canceled, while flights to many other cities were delayed.
According to operator data, more than 33 million passengers traveled through Paris Orly Airport last year, approximately half the passenger volume of Paris Charles de Gaulle Airport.