Thousands of flights to be cancelled at Paris Charles de Gaulle Airport due to upcoming upgrade works in 2024: Dates announced

In January and February 2024, Charles de Gaulle Airport in Paris is planning to upgrade its air traffic control systems. This will lead to the cancellation and delay of thousands of flights from the French capital.

French air traffic control currently operates under a system developed in the 70s of the last century. It is now significantly outdated as controllers still use paper and pencil to map incoming aircraft. Although the system is periodically updated, a complete upgrade is still planned for early next year due to the rapid development of aviation, Delfi reports.

According to preliminary estimates, about 16,500 flights will be cancelled during the work. Between January 9 and February 14, airlines are recommended to reduce the number of flights from such Paris airports as Charles de Gaulle, Orly, Le Bourget and Beauvais by 20%.

Air France reported that the Air France-KLM group is cancelling more than 4,200 flights in total. The company has already informed passengers about the situation and offered them to use alternative flight options.