Travel chaos: France, Spain, Italy and Portugal holidays in turmoil following airport 'breakdown' ()
<iframe frameborder="0" height="100%" scrolling="no" src="https://www.gbnews.com/res/scraper/embed/?video_url=https%3A%2F%2Fmm-v2.simplestream.com%2Fiframe%2Fplayer.php%3Fkey%3D3Li3Nt2Qs8Ct3Xq9Fi5Uy0Mb2Bj0Qs%26player%3DGB003%26uvid%3D52880704%26type%3Dvod%26viously_id%3DLJC7wpyYzWc" width="100%"></iframe><br/><p>Holidaymakers are facing continued disruption at Paris-Orly Airport today following an air traffic control breakdown yesterday. Hundreds of flights were cancelled and delayed during the initial incident.</p><p>The situation is improving according to France's civil aviation authority, but travellers should still expect delays and some cancellations as the airport works to restore normal operations.</p><h3></h3><br/><p>The latest tweet by Paris Aéroport on X read: "Warning, due to a breakdown in air traffic control systems at #Orly airport, flight delays and cancellations are to be expected. Please contact your airline for further information."</p><p>Airlines have been asked to reduce flights by 15 per cent today, down from a 40 per cent reduction yesterday, according to the airline compensation specialists at SkyRefund.</p><h3></h3><br/><img alt="Nice, France" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="f367af389eac541ee45b774a62fa424f" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image" id="66f02" loading="lazy" src="https://www.gbnews.com/media-library/nice-france.png?id=60194211&width=980"/><h3></h3><br/><div class="embed-latest"></div><p>Flights to British-favourite holiday spots such as Italy, Spain, Portugal and southern France have been particularly affected by cancellations.</p><p>UK travellers flying from Manchester Airport and London Gatwick Airport, which operate direct flights to Paris-Orly, should check their flight status before travelling.</p><p>"The situation is improving," the authority said in a statement. "Despite these preventive measures, delays are expected."</p><p>Paris-Orly Airport serves both domestic and international flights, including to most European countries and the US, making the disruption particularly impactful for travellers with connecting flights or onward journeys.</p><h3></h3><br/><p><br/></p><p><br/></p><p>For those affected by the disruption, Ivaylo Danailov, CEO of airline compensation specialists <a href="https://skyrefund.com/en/blog/extraordinary-circumstances-right-to-compensation" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">SkyRefund</a>, offered his advice.</p><p>The expert stated: "Passengers on flights departing from an EU airport like Paris-Orly or arriving in the EU on an EU carrier in this instance are not eligible for compensation under EU261 because the disruption is due to extraordinary circumstances, in this case an ATC system failure.</p><p>"Even though you're not entitled to cash compensation, your airline must support you during the delay or cancellation with care and assistance."</p><p>He explained that this may be in the form of meals, refreshments, and accommodation if needed; rerouting or a refund of tickets; and the right to communication.</p><h3></h3><br><div class="embed-dontmiss"></div><p><br/></p><p><strong>LATEST DEVELOPMENTS:</strong></p><ul><li><a href="https://www.gbnews.com/travel/travel-warning-south-america-bolivia-protests-violent" target="_self">'Don't go near!' Britons warned protests abroad could cause 'widespread disruption' and 'violence'</a></li><li><a href="https://www.gbnews.com/travel/best-walks-uk-walking-trails-scotland" target="_self">The UK's top walking trails for summer 2025 offer 'stunning' views - 'get lost in the beauty'</a></li><li><a href="https://www.gbnews.com/travel/expat-spain-biggest-regret-not-moving-sooner" target="_self">Expat shares her 'biggest regret' about moving to Spain - but it's not what you think</a></li></ul><h3></h3><br><img alt="M\u00e1laga, Spain" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="9080f023c2abdec717f26474fb0abcc8" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image" id="3c74e" loading="lazy" src="https://www.gbnews.com/media-library/m-u00e1laga-spain.jpg?id=51975347&width=980"/><p>Today's disruption at Paris-Orly comes as <a href="https://www.gbnews.com/travel/travel-warning-strike-action-ryanair-finnair-helsinki-airport" target="_self">major airlines see strike-induced travel "chaos"</a>.</p><p>Flight cancellations took place on May 16 and continue today following industrial action by the Finnish Aviation Union at Helsinki Airport.</p><p>Work stoppages have affected essential services, including customer service, aircraft maintenance, baggage handling, cargo operations, ground handling, and catering services.</p><p>As a result, Finnair has been forced to cancel 110 flights today. </p></br></br>
