ORLY, France: An air traffic control breakdown at Paris-Orly airport caused the cancelation and delay of hundreds of flights and the aviation authority said the chaos would extend into Monday.
The breakdown hit on Sunday and has affected thousands of passengers with some already sat in planes at the French capital’s second biggest airport when flights were canceled.
The control tower breakdown forced the cancelation of about 130 flights in and out of Orly Sunday, officials said.
It had not been resolved by late Sunday and the DGAC French civil aviation authority said it was “asking airlines to reduce their flight schedules by 15 percent” on Monday and warned that “delays are expected.”
“The situation is improving but still requires traffic regulation,” the DGAC said.
The authority blamed an air traffic control “malfunction.” An airport source said there had been a “radar failure.”
Flights to European and North Africa destinations and across France were among those hit. Long queues formed at terminals amid a frenzied rush to find alternative transport.
“We were in the aircraft, all seated and strapped in, ready to go, when they made us disembark and collect our bags ... then began the ordeal,” said Azgal Abichou, a 63-year-old business owner.
“The only option is a 300 euro flight — and there’s only one seat left, but there are two of us and we are not even sure it will take off,” said Romane Penault, a 22-year-old student. “So for now, we’re going home.”
Agnes Zilouri, 46, tried desperately to find a seat for her 86-year-old mother and six year old son in the terminal. The family should have taken a flight to Oujda in Morocco on Sunday evening to go to a funeral.
“The flight is canceled. Fortunately I am with my mother,” she said.
Last year Orly handled about 33 million passengers, approximately half the number of the main Paris Charles de Gaulle international airport.
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Paris airport chaos to enter second day after air traffic breakdown
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Paris airport chaos to enter second day after air traffic breakdown
- The breakdown hit on Sunday and has affected thousands of passengers
US, Russian officials to meet in Florida for more Ukraine talks
- US negotiators held talks with Ukrainian, European officials on Friday
- Putin says Ukraine must abandon NATO ambitions, withdraw from claimed regions
WASHINGTON: Negotiators are set to meet Russian officials in Florida on Saturday for the latest talks aimed at ending Russia’s war in Ukraine, as President Donald Trump’s administration tries to coax an agreement out of both Russia and Ukraine to end the conflict.
The meeting follows US talks on Friday with Ukrainian and European officials, the latest discussions of a peace plan that has sparked some hope of a resolution to the conflict that began when Russia launched its full-scale invasion in February 2022. President Vladimir Putin’s envoy, Kirill Dmitriev, is leading the Russian delegation that will meet with property tycoon-turned-diplomat Steve Witkoff and Trump’s son-in-law, Jared Kushner. Marco Rubio, Trump’s top diplomat and national security adviser, said he may also join the talks. Previous meetings have taken place at Witkoff’s golf club in Miami’s Hallandale Beach. US, Ukrainian and European officials earlier this week reported progress on security guarantees for Kyiv as part of the talks to end the war, but it remains unclear if those terms will be acceptable to Moscow.
A Russian source told Reuters that any meeting between Dmitriev and the Ukrainian negotiators had been ruled out.
PUTIN OFFERING NO COMPROMISE
US intelligence reports continue to warn that Russian President Vladimir Putin intends to capture all of Ukraine, sources familiar with the intelligence said, contradicting some US officials’ assertions that Moscow is ready for peace. Putin offered no compromise during his annual press conference in Moscow, insisting that Russia’s terms for ending the war had not changed since June 2024, when he demanded Ukraine abandon its ambition to join NATO and withdraw entirely from four Ukrainian regions Russia claims as its own territory.
Kyiv says it will not cede land that Moscow’s forces have failed to capture in nearly four years of war.
Ukraine’s top negotiator Rustem Umerov said US and European teams on Friday held talks and agreed to pursue their joint efforts.
“We agreed with our American partners on further steps and on continuing our joint work in the near future,” Umerov wrote on Telegram of the discussions in the United States, adding that he had informed President Volodymyr Zelensky of the outcome of the talks.
The White House did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Rubio told reporters earlier on Friday that progress has been made in discussions to end the war but there is still a way to go.
“In the end, it’s up to them to make a deal. We can’t force Ukraine to make a deal. We can’t force Russia to make a deal. They have to want to make a deal,” Rubio said.
“The role we’re trying to play is a role of figuring out whether there’s any overlap here that they can agree to, and that’s what we’ve invested a lot of time and energy and continue to do so. That may not be possible. I hope it is. I hope it can get done this month before the end of the year.”
The meeting follows US talks on Friday with Ukrainian and European officials, the latest discussions of a peace plan that has sparked some hope of a resolution to the conflict that began when Russia launched its full-scale invasion in February 2022. President Vladimir Putin’s envoy, Kirill Dmitriev, is leading the Russian delegation that will meet with property tycoon-turned-diplomat Steve Witkoff and Trump’s son-in-law, Jared Kushner. Marco Rubio, Trump’s top diplomat and national security adviser, said he may also join the talks. Previous meetings have taken place at Witkoff’s golf club in Miami’s Hallandale Beach. US, Ukrainian and European officials earlier this week reported progress on security guarantees for Kyiv as part of the talks to end the war, but it remains unclear if those terms will be acceptable to Moscow.
A Russian source told Reuters that any meeting between Dmitriev and the Ukrainian negotiators had been ruled out.
PUTIN OFFERING NO COMPROMISE
US intelligence reports continue to warn that Russian President Vladimir Putin intends to capture all of Ukraine, sources familiar with the intelligence said, contradicting some US officials’ assertions that Moscow is ready for peace. Putin offered no compromise during his annual press conference in Moscow, insisting that Russia’s terms for ending the war had not changed since June 2024, when he demanded Ukraine abandon its ambition to join NATO and withdraw entirely from four Ukrainian regions Russia claims as its own territory.
Kyiv says it will not cede land that Moscow’s forces have failed to capture in nearly four years of war.
Ukraine’s top negotiator Rustem Umerov said US and European teams on Friday held talks and agreed to pursue their joint efforts.
“We agreed with our American partners on further steps and on continuing our joint work in the near future,” Umerov wrote on Telegram of the discussions in the United States, adding that he had informed President Volodymyr Zelensky of the outcome of the talks.
The White House did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Rubio told reporters earlier on Friday that progress has been made in discussions to end the war but there is still a way to go.
“In the end, it’s up to them to make a deal. We can’t force Ukraine to make a deal. We can’t force Russia to make a deal. They have to want to make a deal,” Rubio said.
“The role we’re trying to play is a role of figuring out whether there’s any overlap here that they can agree to, and that’s what we’ve invested a lot of time and energy and continue to do so. That may not be possible. I hope it is. I hope it can get done this month before the end of the year.”
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