Christmas may be over, but the knock-on impact of weather, staffing shortages and congested air-traffic-control sectors is still being felt at Paris-Charles-de-Gaulle (CDG). A EUROCONTROL snapshot released late on 24 December and confirmed by airport operator Groupe ADP on 26 December shows 249 delays and six cancellations at France’s busiest hub – the second-worst figures in Europe after London Heathrow. Swiss, Lufthansa and easyJet reported missed aircraft rotations, forcing them to trim capacity on 25-26 December to restore schedules.
Ground-handling remains the weak link. Several handlers reported sick-leave levels above 14 %, leaving crews scrambling for equipment and driving turnaround times well above the 45-minute target. Heavy rain and gusty cross-winds further slowed ramp operations. Airlines are warning corporate travellers that onward connections may not be protected under EU261 if the carrier can prove that ‘extraordinary circumstances’ – in this case combined weather and ATC restrictions – caused the disruption.
For global-mobility teams, the practical advice is to keep itineraries flexible until 2 January. Travellers transiting CDG should aim for minimum connections of 90 minutes Schengen–Schengen and 2 hours Schengen–non-Schengen, and should pre-book lounge access to secure workspace in the event of rolling delays. Employers should remind staff to retain boarding passes and delay notifications, as these are essential for any later compensation claims.
![Paris-CDG Suffers 249 Flight Delays as Post-Holiday Ripple Hits Europe]()
VisaHQ can help remove one layer of uncertainty for these travellers. Through its dedicated France page (https://www.visahq.com/france/), the platform streamlines Schengen visa applications, passport renewals, and emergency document services—useful for employees who may need to reroute through other EU airports at short notice. By centralizing paperwork and status updates, VisaHQ frees up travel managers to focus on mitigating the operational challenges outlined above.
Cargo flows have also been affected. Forwarders report average dwell times up by 12 hours, delaying just-in-time components bound for French manufacturing plants. The airport’s Perishable Centre warned exporters of high-value seafood to factor in longer trans-shipment windows to avoid spoilage over New Year’s weekend.
While weather-related disruption is seasonal, unions note that chronic understaffing is not. The ground-handling branch of the CGT has called for an industry-wide meeting in January to negotiate better pay and emergency staffing pools before the Paris 2026 tourism surge tied to the Winter Youth Games.
Ground-handling remains the weak link. Several handlers reported sick-leave levels above 14 %, leaving crews scrambling for equipment and driving turnaround times well above the 45-minute target. Heavy rain and gusty cross-winds further slowed ramp operations. Airlines are warning corporate travellers that onward connections may not be protected under EU261 if the carrier can prove that ‘extraordinary circumstances’ – in this case combined weather and ATC restrictions – caused the disruption.
For global-mobility teams, the practical advice is to keep itineraries flexible until 2 January. Travellers transiting CDG should aim for minimum connections of 90 minutes Schengen–Schengen and 2 hours Schengen–non-Schengen, and should pre-book lounge access to secure workspace in the event of rolling delays. Employers should remind staff to retain boarding passes and delay notifications, as these are essential for any later compensation claims.
VisaHQ can help remove one layer of uncertainty for these travellers. Through its dedicated France page (https://www.visahq.com/france/), the platform streamlines Schengen visa applications, passport renewals, and emergency document services—useful for employees who may need to reroute through other EU airports at short notice. By centralizing paperwork and status updates, VisaHQ frees up travel managers to focus on mitigating the operational challenges outlined above.
Cargo flows have also been affected. Forwarders report average dwell times up by 12 hours, delaying just-in-time components bound for French manufacturing plants. The airport’s Perishable Centre warned exporters of high-value seafood to factor in longer trans-shipment windows to avoid spoilage over New Year’s weekend.
While weather-related disruption is seasonal, unions note that chronic understaffing is not. The ground-handling branch of the CGT has called for an industry-wide meeting in January to negotiate better pay and emergency staffing pools before the Paris 2026 tourism surge tied to the Winter Youth Games.
