Hundreds of travelers have been left stranded or facing long delays across France as Air France scrapped 45 flights and delayed dozens more in the latest operational turmoil linked to a powerful winter storm system sweeping Western Europe. Airports in Paris, Nice and Toulouse reported mounting cancellations and knock-on delays on Tuesday, as snow, ice and high winds combined with air traffic restrictions to paralyze large parts of the network and leave passengers sleeping in terminals or scrambling for last minute accommodation.

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Storm Goretti Turns French Skies Into No-Fly Zones

The latest wave of disruption is rooted in Storm Goretti, a ferocious winter system that has hammered northern and western Europe since early January, bringing gale force winds, heavy snow and widespread power cuts. French authorities issued top tier weather alerts on January 8 and 9 for violent winds and dangerous snow and ice conditions, warning that transport systems, including aviation, would face severe disruption as the storm crossed the country.

In northern France and the Paris region, snow accumulation and black ice on runways forced airport operators to restrict movements, while strong crosswinds made landings and takeoffs hazardous for crews. The civil aviation authority triggered its severe weather plan, ordering airlines to cut scheduled movements at the capital’s two main hubs and prioritize safety and de-icing operations over punctuality. That directive rippled through carriers’ schedules and reverberated across the country’s secondary airports.

Although weather conditions started to stabilize in the days that followed, the operational hangover has been slow to clear. Aircraft and crews remained out of position, morning slot programs were heavily compressed, and each new band of snow showers added fresh delays. Against this backdrop, Air France was forced into the significant cancellation of 45 services and the delay of numerous others at Paris Charles de Gaulle, Paris Orly, Nice and Toulouse, leaving passengers caught in long queues and uncertain about when they would be able to travel.

Paris Hubs Bear the Brunt of Air France Cancellations

Paris Charles de Gaulle, Air France’s main hub and one of Europe’s busiest airports, has been at the center of the crisis. In recent days, the airport has repeatedly topped disruption tables, with hundreds of delayed departures and arrivals and dozens of outright cancellations across all airlines. For Air France, which concentrates long haul and much of its European traffic at CDG, even a modest cut in movements can cascade into widespread network disruption.

With the severe weather plan in force, airlines at CDG were ordered to trim schedules by around 15 percent on peak days, effectively forcing carriers such as Air France to ground planned rotations. The airline focused on preserving core long haul services while trimming a series of intra European and domestic flights, including links to Amsterdam, Lisbon, Nantes and regional French cities. Those tactical cancellations were accompanied by extensive delays on flights that did operate, as de-icing queues lengthened and ground crews worked in freezing conditions.

Paris Orly, traditionally a hub for domestic and leisure routes, has also faced heavy strain. Here, Air France and its regional subsidiary HOP have seen a mix of cancellations and rolling delays that disrupted links to southern France and Mediterranean destinations. Passengers described scenes of crowded departure halls, snaking lines at customer service desks and limited real time information on revised departure times, as staff attempted to juggle rebooking demands with rapidly changing operational constraints.

Nice and Toulouse Join the List of Hard Hit Airports

While the heart of Storm Goretti’s snowfall has been in the north and center of the country, the ripple effects have been felt as far south as the Cote d’Azur. Nice Cote d’Azur Airport, a key gateway for both business and leisure travelers, has reported significant knock on delays and a cluster of Air France cancellations in recent days. With aircraft unable to depart Paris on time, rotations to and from Nice fell behind schedule, leaving passengers to endure several hour hold ups even on clear days on the Mediterranean coast.

At Toulouse Blagnac, an important base for both domestic traffic and European connections, the combination of residual weather disruption and network imbalance also triggered cancellations and late running services. Air France has had to juggle its capacity carefully, deciding which short haul flights could be consolidated or canceled outright to free up aircraft and crew for more congested trunk routes. The result has been an uneven service pattern, with some departures operating relatively close to schedule and others scrapped at short notice.

Travelers at both southern airports reported confusion over which services would operate and frustration over the timing of notifications. In several cases, passengers said they only learned of cancellations after clearing security or arriving at the gate, compounding anxiety in terminals already busy with winter holidaymakers and business travelers returning from the New Year break.

Hundreds of Passengers Left Stranded or Sleeping in Terminals

The human impact of the disruption has been stark across France. With 45 Air France flights grounded and many more running hours late, hundreds of passengers have found themselves stranded in unfamiliar cities or faced with extended overnight stays in airport terminals. Families traveling with children, elderly passengers and those with tight onward connections have been among the hardest hit.

At Paris Charles de Gaulle, travelers described nights spent on camp beds or improvised sleeping spots on the floor, echoing scenes seen across northern Europe where thousands have been forced to stay inside airports as snowstorms halted transport. Volunteer staff and airport teams handed out blankets and snacks, but supplies were stretched as the scale of disruption became apparent. Long lines formed in front of airline counters as customers sought hotel vouchers, meal coupons or alternative routing.

In Nice and Toulouse, where local hotel capacity is lower than in Paris and quickly filled by delayed passengers, some travelers resorted to sharing rooms or paying out of pocket for expensive last minute accommodation. Others opted to abandon their journeys and make their way by rail or car, though transport on the ground was itself disrupted in several regions by icy roads and reduced train services.

Air France Apologies, Flexible Rebooking and Compensation Questions

Air France has issued repeated apologies to customers for the widespread disruption, attributing the grounded flights and delays to exceptional weather conditions and mandatory capacity cuts imposed by French aviation authorities. The airline has encouraged passengers to check the status of their flights via its website and mobile app and, where possible, to postpone non essential travel until operations stabilize.

In line with its standard disruption policy, Air France has been offering affected travelers the option to rebook on later services at no additional charge or to request a refund if their flight is canceled. For passengers already at the airport, the carrier is providing hotel accommodation and meals where required, although capacity constraints and the sheer volume of disrupted journeys mean support has been uneven, with some travelers reporting they received little more than a snack voucher.

The question of financial compensation under European air passenger rights rules is also looming. Under EU Regulation 261, airlines are generally required to compensate passengers for cancellations and long delays, unless the disruption is caused by extraordinary circumstances such as severe weather or air traffic control restrictions beyond the airline’s control. Given that Storm Goretti has triggered official weather alerts and mandatory flight reductions, passenger advocacy groups say many claims are likely to be rejected on that basis, though reimbursement of tickets and assistance at the airport must still be provided.

France’s Wider Aviation Network Under Sustained Pressure

The Air France cancellations and delays come as part of a broader pattern of turmoil across Europe’s skies this month. French airports have ranked among the most disrupted in the region, with recent tallies showing more than a thousand delayed flights and several hundred cancellations in a single day across Paris, Lyon, Marseille, Nantes, Nice, Toulouse and Bordeaux. Major European hubs in Amsterdam, London and Brussels have also struggled with severe weather, de-icing shortages and air traffic control bottlenecks.

Within France, the situation has exposed the vulnerability of an aviation system heavily reliant on just a handful of major airports and a dominant national carrier. When capacity cuts or ground handling slowdowns hit Charles de Gaulle and Orly, the consequences are felt almost immediately in regional cities whose domestic links depend on tightly timed connections. Even short disruptions can quickly spiral, leaving aircraft and crews out of position and forcing airlines into rolling waves of schedule changes.

Rail operators have attempted to absorb some of the excess demand, but they too have faced obstacles from snow and ice, particularly on lines radiating from Paris toward Normandy and the north. With roads also affected in key regions, many travelers have been left with few easy alternatives, heightening pressure on airlines and airport authorities to restore normal operations as quickly as safety permits.

Travelers Face a Season of Uncertainty Across Europe

The latest Air France grounding underscores how fragile winter travel in Europe has become at a time of more frequent severe weather episodes and stretched airport resources. For passengers, the lesson is that flexibility and preparation are vital. Travel experts recommend monitoring weather forecasts closely, signing up for airline alerts, allowing extra time for connections and considering travel insurance with strong disruption coverage during the winter months.

For airlines and airport operators, Storm Goretti and the resulting service breakdowns may prompt fresh scrutiny of resilience planning. Questions are already being asked about whether de-icing stocks, staffing levels and contingency slots were sufficient, and whether better real time communication with passengers could have reduced the frustration seen in terminals across France. Industry groups have warned that with climate change likely to increase the volatility of weather patterns, episodes of severe disruption may become more frequent rather than less.

In the short term, Air France is focused on clearing the backlog of stranded travelers and returning its network to a stable footing. As aircraft and crews gradually return to normal rotations, the number of cancellations and extreme delays is expected to ease. Yet for the hundreds of passengers who have missed holidays, business meetings or long planned family reunions, the impact of this week’s grounded flights will linger long after the runways have been cleared of snow.