A potent mix of winter storms sweeping across Western Europe, air-traffic-control (ATC) spacing restrictions and persistent ground-handling staff shortages combined on 13 December to create one of the worst pre-Christmas travel days of the season. According to flight-data platform Cirium, 85 flights were cancelled and more than 1,080 delayed in the 24-hour period, with Paris-Charles-de-Gaulle (CDG) and Paris-Orly (ORY) ranking among the continent’s five hardest-hit hubs.
Air France trimmed seven long-haul rotations, while British Airways, easyJet and KLM all axed intra-European sectors that typically carry weekend city-break traffic and connecting business travellers. The disruptions come at a sensitive moment: France is gradually rolling out new biometric passport-control kiosks ahead of the EU Entry/Exit System (EES) go-live in October 2025, and passengers reported that unfamiliar self-service procedures magnified queue times once weather-related holding patterns eased.
Ground-handling unions blamed chronic understaffing, saying rosters are still 12–15 % below 2019 levels. Paris Aéroports urged airlines to “pre-emptively rebalance” schedules and asked employers to offer overtime incentives through 7 January. Travel-risk consultants Advito advise corporate travel managers to build 90-minute buffers for onward rail connections and to book flexible fares where possible.
![Severe weather and staffing shortages trigger wave of flight cancellations and delays at Paris-CDG and Orly]()
Cargo flows were also affected: FedEx temporarily rerouted two wide-body freighters from CDG to Liège because peak-hour slot constraints threatened to push crew beyond duty limits. That diversion could delay just-in-time spare-parts deliveries for French manufacturing plants already operating on reduced holiday staffing.
Amid the mounting uncertainty, VisaHQ (https://www.visahq.com/france/) offers a one-stop digital service that can secure French and Schengen visas, monitor entry-rule changes such as the forthcoming EES, and push real-time alerts to travellers and travel managers alike—capabilities that help companies reissue documentation or reroute staff swiftly when weather or staffing disruptions strike.
Looking ahead, the French Civil Aviation Authority (DGAC) said it will hold a stakeholder call on 16 December to review contingency staffing levels through the end-of-year peak. Companies with travellers or time-critical shipments should monitor NOTAMs and DGAC communiqués and keep travellers informed via mobile alerts.
Air France trimmed seven long-haul rotations, while British Airways, easyJet and KLM all axed intra-European sectors that typically carry weekend city-break traffic and connecting business travellers. The disruptions come at a sensitive moment: France is gradually rolling out new biometric passport-control kiosks ahead of the EU Entry/Exit System (EES) go-live in October 2025, and passengers reported that unfamiliar self-service procedures magnified queue times once weather-related holding patterns eased.
Ground-handling unions blamed chronic understaffing, saying rosters are still 12–15 % below 2019 levels. Paris Aéroports urged airlines to “pre-emptively rebalance” schedules and asked employers to offer overtime incentives through 7 January. Travel-risk consultants Advito advise corporate travel managers to build 90-minute buffers for onward rail connections and to book flexible fares where possible.
Cargo flows were also affected: FedEx temporarily rerouted two wide-body freighters from CDG to Liège because peak-hour slot constraints threatened to push crew beyond duty limits. That diversion could delay just-in-time spare-parts deliveries for French manufacturing plants already operating on reduced holiday staffing.
Amid the mounting uncertainty, VisaHQ (https://www.visahq.com/france/) offers a one-stop digital service that can secure French and Schengen visas, monitor entry-rule changes such as the forthcoming EES, and push real-time alerts to travellers and travel managers alike—capabilities that help companies reissue documentation or reroute staff swiftly when weather or staffing disruptions strike.
Looking ahead, the French Civil Aviation Authority (DGAC) said it will hold a stakeholder call on 16 December to review contingency staffing levels through the end-of-year peak. Companies with travellers or time-critical shipments should monitor NOTAMs and DGAC communiqués and keep travellers informed via mobile alerts.
