New disturbances in sight in the Parisian sky.
Due to the air traffic controllers' strike, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGAC) is asking airlines to reduce their flight schedule by 20% this Wednesday, March 15 at Paris-Orly.
As during previous social movements, the airport in the south of Paris is affected while no disruption is planned at Paris-Charles de Gaulle (CDG).
How to explain such a difference ?
First reason: the curfew.
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Paris-Orly is the only international airport in Europe to have a curfew between 11:30 p.m. and 6 a.m.
, recalls Aéroports de Paris on its site.
[It] was decided in 1968 by ministerial decree because of the very strong urbanization around the airport.
In other words, rotations (landings and take-offs) are not authorized during this period which represents a quarter of a day.
Thus, airlines have less leeway to reschedule their flights.
Conversely, no restrictions are in force at Paris-CDG: companies have more freedom to postpone a flight in the middle of the night.
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Long-haul flights less affected
Another explanation: the type of flights operated at Orly.
This airport mainly handles short and medium-haul flights, i.e. flights serving France and Europe – the rare long-haul flights serve North America and overseas territories. sea.
On these lines, several rotations are generally provided each day.
When a flight is cancelled, it is thus easier for a company to place their passengers on a flight which leaves a little earlier or a little later on the same day.
Conversely, canceling a long-haul flight is much more penalizing.
On most intercontinental lines, only one flight per day or even every two days is provided.
Canceling a flight therefore means taking the risk of blocking hundreds of travelers in Paris and on the other side of the world for one or even several days.
This is why during previous strikes, Air France provided all of its long-haul flights.
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