Paris Olympics: Things to Know When Setting Up Flights to France This Summer
Euro Jet is ready to support your flights related to the Summer Olympics in Paris. The Opening Ceremony will be held on July 26 in the Paris city center along the river Seine. The Games will then continue for two weeks up until August 11. The Paralympic Games will be held afterwards from August 28 to September 8.
To help you save some time researching procedures and the best airports for your flight operation, we have put together an overview of the essential advice and airport details you should know about when setting up flights to France this summer.
General Overview
Air traffic congestion is expected to peak the day before and the day after the Opening and the Closing Ceremonies. However, the period during which specific coordination processes are implemented at French airports lasts longer and goes from July 12 to September 16.
No-Fly Zone During the Opening Ceremony
For safety reasons, air traffic will be interrupted during the Opening Ceremony of the Summer Olympics taking place on the evening of July 26. Parisian airspace in a 150km radius around Paris will be completely closed by the French CAA between 1900 and midnight local time. Overflights will be impacted as well with only some emergency flights receiving an exception.
The closure will involve a traffic shutdown at all major Paris airports with no flights allowed to operate, including top-tier diplomatic flights. There will be no slots available on July 26 at Paris Charles de Gaulle (LFPG), Paris Orly (LFPO), Paris Le Bourget (LFPB), and Beauvais (LFOB) from 1530z to 2200z.
Restrictions of ground transportation are also expected.
Slots and Parking
For the duration of the Olympics, mandatory airport slots will be in effect for all Paris area airport movements.
Our recommendation is to make all necessary bookings – including slots, parking, and required ground support services – as soon as you know your schedule. Slots are distributed on a first come first served basis with very high demand and limited parking options available.
Once your desired or closest available slot is confirmed, we advise against making any changes to the schedule as it will most likely lead to losing the slot and parking allotment and possibly having to go on a waiting list.
As heavy congestion is expected, we recommend having a plan for alternate airports outside of the Paris area if repositioning becomes necessary. Please note that whether an airport is available is dependent on the availability of customs. It is also possible that smaller airports may not have English-speaking ATCs available over the weekends. For good alternatives, check our Airport Guide below.
Further Operational Details to Keep in Mind
We advise against ordering fuel and catering on short stops unless absolutely necessary. If possible, we recommend taking catering from your previous destination. Issues with limited staffing on the ground are anticipated and can lead to further delays.
The cost of services are not only much higher than normal for the Olympics, but also have non-refundable fees once booked. That is why we recommend checking the relevant clauses carefully before finalizing the booking. We also recommend not to book your hotel before your slot is confirmed.
Road closures, delays and high prices are also expected for all ground transportation. Helicopter transportation is an alternative worth considering in special time sensitive cases.
Airport Guide
Main Parisian Airports Welcoming Most of the Olympics-Related Air Traffic
- H24 for landings
- Take-off prohibited between 2215z and 0600z
Orange periods will be implemented from July 24 to July 28, from August 3 to August 5, and from August 10 to August 12 with a slot window of 20 minutes (a slot for 1305 provides a slot window from 1300 to 1319).
Green period will be implemented from July 12 to September 16 with a slot window of 1 hour (a slot for 1305 provides a slot window from 1300 to 1359).
Slot ID numbers should be entered in box 18 of the flight plan. To get a priority, it is important to state that the flight is related to the Olympics.
Crews and passengers must be pre-cleared prior to all flights. Specific GENDECs form should be provided by the authorities and the GD must be sent for any crew and flight. No changes to the crew and passengers list will be allowed. It will not be possible to change the pax and tail information and making changes after deadlines will be penalized by the DGAC. All flights will be checked by the officers on ground.
PARIS CHARLES DE GAULLE (LFPG)
- H24 with night restrictions
- No departures between 2159z and 0300z
- No arrivals between 2230z and 0330z
The airport cannot be used by business aircraft unless passengers are connecting to/from an airline or the flight is directly connected to the Olympics. For ad hoc flights with 25+ seats, priority will be given to the flights related to the Olympics.
- H24 with night restriction between 2315z and 0615z
The airport cannot be used by business aircraft unless passengers are connecting to/from an airline or the flight is directly connected to the Olympics. For ad hoc flights with 25+ seats, priority will be given to the flights related to the Olympics.
- Operations hours from 0515z to 2145z
- Extension possible for scheduled flights only
Airports Ideal for GA Traffic Within Driving Distance to Paris
Albert Airport (LFAQ) is located about 2 hours from Paris city center and can be used as airport of entry. High traffic is not expected there, and slots are not required.
Slots are neither required at Pontoise (LFPT), located 1.5 hours from Paris city center, nor at Vatry (LFOK), located 3 hours away from Paris.
At Lille Airport (LFQQ), 2.5 hours from Paris, slots will be coordinated from July 12 to September 16. General Aviation hours are between 0400z and 1900z, with an extension possible on request.
Overnight Alternate Airports
Marseille Provence (LFML), H24 with restrictions, will be coordinated from July 16 to August 11. Bordeaux (LFBD), H24, might be coordinated from July 23 to August 4 (TBD by French CAA). These two airports together with Toulouse (LFBO), Lyon (LFLL), and Chambley (LFJY) are good alternatives for overnight repositioning within France.
Euro Jet’s Global Flight Support Services
Paris and France are among Euro Jet’s global locations where we can offer assistance thanks to our network of local reliable and carefully selected ground support partners. We have been closely monitoring all the developments related to the Paris Olympics at the local airports and maintaining in our database all relevant details. We can therefore provide our customers with up-to-date information about any airport in the area.
Our network also allows us to react quickly to the current situation at any airport and reposition flights between the airports if necessary. We are a one-stop-shop solution for our customers; your one point of contact no matter how complicated the operation.
Please reach out to our Sales Team or our Operations Center if you have any questions or if we can assist with your flights to France this summer.
Images: Euro Jet Archive, Shutterstock
