French plane forced to circle over sea after air traffic controller dozes off

A commercial plane had to circle above the Mediterranean after an air traffic controller at Ajaccio Napoleon Bonaparte Airport in French island Corsica fell asleep and left the runway lights off.

Air Corsica Flight XK777, an Airbus A320 travelling from Paris Orly Airport, departed at 9.50pm on Sept 15 (3.50am on Sept 16, Singapore time) and was due to land at 11.25pm.

But it touched down only at 12.35am on Sept 16 – more than an hour late, data from flight-tracking website Flightradar24, which monitors aircraft worldwide, shows.

The pilots tried repeatedly to reach the tower before contacting the airport fire service, which found the lone controller asleep, reported French local daily newspaper Corse-Matin on Sept 16.

With no one responding, they had to place the aircraft in a holding pattern – flying in circles above the Mediterranean Sea surrounding the holiday island – to wait for instructions and ensure the plane did not run low on fuel or conflict with other traffic.

The lights lining the single 2,400m runway were switched on only after the lone controller was woken, said the report.

“In a career of several decades, I have never had to handle such a situation,” Corse-Matin quoted the plane’s captain as saying.

“We did a little sightseeing,” joked the captain. “At no time was there any panic. Everyone stayed calm.”

The French Civil Aviation Authority confirmed the incident to British media outlet Manchester Evening News, adding that the controller passed drug and alcohol tests.

But the case has renewed concerns about employees at smaller French airports, like Ajaccio, which the SNCTA – France’s air traffic union – said are often beset by poor staffing and overwork.