A ripple of operational problems—ranging from unseasonal fog in central Europe to staff shortages at several air-traffic-control centres—left more than 1,100 flights delayed and 51 cancelled across Europe on 5 February. Data compiled by aviation analytics firm Cirium and reported by Travel & Tour World show Paris-Charles-de-Gaulle (CDG) registering 135 delays and one cancellation, the second-worst hub after Frankfurt.
Air France bore the brunt: 79 delayed services and nine cancellations across CDG, Orly and regional bases. While weather was the trigger, ground-handling unions say chronic under-staffing magnified the knock-on effect as diverted aircraft arrived out of sequence. Logistics managers moving just-in-time components through CDG’s cargo centre reported average hold-release times of five hours—up from the normal 90 minutes.
For business travellers the impact is immediate. Mid-morning departures from Paris to London, Amsterdam and Frankfurt missed onward North-America banks, forcing re-bookings and overnight stays. Under EU261 rules, airlines must re-route passengers at the earliest opportunity but can decline compensation if ‘extraordinary circumstances’ apply—something legal teams are already contesting given the mixture of weather and staffing issues.
![Europe-wide flight disruption sees 135 delays at Paris-Charles-de-Gaulle alone]()
Amid the disruption, some travellers also discover that rerouting through alternative hubs may require transit visas they hadn't originally planned for. VisaHQ’s online platform (https://www.visahq.com/france/) can fast-track these unexpected paperwork needs, guiding passengers on whether they need a Schengen, UK or U.S. transit permit and arranging courier collection if a physical stamp is still required—a small but crucial safeguard when schedules go awry.
Travel-management companies (TMCs) advise clients to: 1) book flexible fares for the next 72 hours; 2) use high-speed rail for trips under four hours; and 3) ensure mobility policies cover hotel and subsistence advances when delays exceed two hours. Cargo shippers are meanwhile shifting critical loads to Liège and Leipzig until CDG’s backlog clears.
Longer-term, the episode underscores the fragility of France’s—and Europe’s—aviation network just weeks before the EES rollout is expected to further slow passenger processing. Stakeholders are pressing the French civil-aviation authority (DGAC) to publish a contingency staffing plan before Easter.
Air France bore the brunt: 79 delayed services and nine cancellations across CDG, Orly and regional bases. While weather was the trigger, ground-handling unions say chronic under-staffing magnified the knock-on effect as diverted aircraft arrived out of sequence. Logistics managers moving just-in-time components through CDG’s cargo centre reported average hold-release times of five hours—up from the normal 90 minutes.
For business travellers the impact is immediate. Mid-morning departures from Paris to London, Amsterdam and Frankfurt missed onward North-America banks, forcing re-bookings and overnight stays. Under EU261 rules, airlines must re-route passengers at the earliest opportunity but can decline compensation if ‘extraordinary circumstances’ apply—something legal teams are already contesting given the mixture of weather and staffing issues.
Amid the disruption, some travellers also discover that rerouting through alternative hubs may require transit visas they hadn't originally planned for. VisaHQ’s online platform (https://www.visahq.com/france/) can fast-track these unexpected paperwork needs, guiding passengers on whether they need a Schengen, UK or U.S. transit permit and arranging courier collection if a physical stamp is still required—a small but crucial safeguard when schedules go awry.
Travel-management companies (TMCs) advise clients to: 1) book flexible fares for the next 72 hours; 2) use high-speed rail for trips under four hours; and 3) ensure mobility policies cover hotel and subsistence advances when delays exceed two hours. Cargo shippers are meanwhile shifting critical loads to Liège and Leipzig until CDG’s backlog clears.
Longer-term, the episode underscores the fragility of France’s—and Europe’s—aviation network just weeks before the EES rollout is expected to further slow passenger processing. Stakeholders are pressing the French civil-aviation authority (DGAC) to publish a contingency staffing plan before Easter.
