Thousands of flights will be canceled at Paris Charles de Gaulle airport, a hub for European air traffic, in January and February 2024 as France upgrades its air traffic control systems.
French air traffic control currently operates under a system developed in the 1970s, under which controllers sometimes still use paper and pencil to map arriving aircraft. Although the system has been updated periodically over the years, due to the rapid development of aviation and the increase in the number of flights, a full update is planned for early next year.
Since the process is quite lengthy, the first two months of the year can be the most difficult for travelers. With more than 2.5 million flights passing through French airspace each year, any disruption could impact travel not only in Europe but around the world.
System update “extremely necessary”
BFM estimates that around 16,500 flights will be canceled during the work. Between January 9 and February 14, airlines are advised to reduce the number of departing and arriving flights at Paris Charles de Gaulle, Orly, Le Bourget, and Beauvais airports by 20 percent.
During this time, the new system will be tested at the largest air traffic control center in all of France, Hathis-Mons, which is responsible for Paris airports. The airlines themselves decide which flights will be canceled, but they will most likely give preference to long-haul flights.
Air France told French media that the airline was “forced to cancel some short- and medium-haul flights during this period,” with the Air France-KLM group canceling more than 4,200 flights in total. Air France informed passengers of the current situation and offered them alternative flight options on the same day.
Around 1 billion euros will be invested in improving air traffic control in France. The goal of upgrading the system is to serve more flights more efficiently.