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Paris CDG ATC Upgrade Causes Morning Delays
Eurocontrol’s switchover to new systems at Paris Charles de Gaulle briefly disrupted flights on October 20, 2025.
Eurocontrol reported that a scheduled ATC (Air Traffic Control) system upgrade at Paris Charles de Gaulle Airport (CDG) caused short delays and rerouting for inbound and outbound services between 06:00 and 10:00 local time on October 20, 2025. The work involved moving to new digital flight data processing systems as part of France’s wider NextGen airspace modernisation effort.
Why the Paris CDG ATC upgrade mattered
The temporary interruption affected several carriers operating at CDG, including Air France, British Airways and Lufthansa. Eurocontrol said passengers saw minor delays during the morning window, with normal operations restored by midday. The upgrade aims to increase capacity and efficiency at one of Europe’s busiest hubs ahead of the 2026 summer travel season.
Air traffic system migrations like this replace legacy data feeds and streamline handoffs between controllers, but they also require careful timing to limit passenger impact. Eurocontrol coordinated the operation to run during lower-demand morning hours and confirmed no safety incidents were reported.
- Key point: Paris CDG ATC upgrade ran 06:00–10:00 local time on October 20, 2025 and briefly affected multiple carriers.
For travellers, the disruption mostly meant slight holding patterns or reroutes rather than widespread cancellations. Airlines adjusted slot usage and ground handling to reduce knock-on effects. Eurocontrol and French air navigation authorities framed the work as necessary to unlock more efficient arrivals and departures once the system is fully in service.
As airports and air navigation service providers roll out digital flight data platforms, planners expect short, pre-announced impacts to accelerate longer-term gains in throughput and predictability. Passengers flying through CDG in the coming months should notice smoother flows as the NextGen programme continues to be implemented.
