Delays at Airports Increase as a Result of Control Gate Malfunctions

On Monday, a “national outage” caused long wait times at the border crossing in several airports, including Paris Aéroports (Roissy-Charles de Gaulle and Orly). The outage lasted for three hours and disrupted the Parafe airlocks used by the Border Police.

Paris Aéroports reported on social media that the computer system used by the Border Police had experienced a national breakdown, affecting the Parafe airlocks. These airlocks enable automated screening of travelers entering and exiting the Schengen Area.

The current outage was expected to lead to an increase in waiting times at departures and arrivals, with some travelers reporting wait times of up to 40 minutes on average. Paris Aéroports apologized for the inconvenience and urged travelers to exercise patience.

It’s important to note that the Parafe system is used in several French airports, as well as in train stations and the port of Calais. While Paris Aéroport communicated about the outage, it was reported to be a national issue affecting multiple airports.

In addition to the system outage, air traffic was already disrupted due to a national social movement, with cancellations and delays expected throughout the day. The general directorate of civil aviation advised travelers to consider postponing their flights. Overall, it was a challenging Monday for those traveling to or from France.