CHICAGO – Travelers aboard Air France Flight AF136 from Paris to Chicago experienced an unexpected seven-hour detour when the aircraft was denied landing clearance at O’Hare International Airport and forced to return to France, according to multiple aviation reports.
The transatlantic flight took off from Charles de Gaulle Airport at 12:49 p.m. local time on Saturday, June 28, and had already passed halfway over the Atlantic, between Iceland and Greenland, when the crew made the decision to turn around.
Data from FlightRadar24 shows the flight’s abrupt change of course mid-air, which was confirmed by Air France as being due to unspecified “operational reasons.”
Landing Clearance Denied at Chicago O’Hare
A passenger speaking to AIRLIVE said the issue stemmed from a failure to receive landing authorization at O’Hare. Air France later confirmed the redirection but did not offer details beyond citing operational concerns.
The incident was first reported by AviationA2Z, which noted that the plane landed safely back in Paris approximately six hours and 37 minutes after departure.
A replacement flight departed on Sunday, June 29, to accommodate the affected passengers, according to AviationA2Z.
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