On Monday, travelers at several airports, including Paris Aéroports (Roissy-Charles de Gaulle and Orly), experienced longer waiting times at the border crossing due to a “national outage.” The outage lasted for three hours before resuming normal operations around 3 a.m., as reported by Paris Aéroports.

The cause of the outage was a breakdown in the computer system used by the Border Police, which affected the Parafe airlocks upon departure and arrival at the airports. These airlocks are used to automate screening of travelers entering and exiting the Schengen Area, and were expected to lead to increased waiting times.

The Parafe system, which streamlines border crossing formalities in an automated, fluid, and rapid manner, is used in several French airports, as well as train stations and the port of Calais. While the outage was national in scope, only Paris Aéroport communicated about it. At the same time, air traffic was disrupted due to a national social movement, with cancellations and delays expected throughout the day.

Travelers were advised by the general directorate of civil aviation to postpone their flights due to the situation. The waiting time at border control was estimated to be an average of 40 minutes for each hour, causing inconvenience for many travelers who were already frustrated by delays and cancellations due to the social movement. Those waiting in line were apologized to by Paris Aéroports.

While some airports communicated about the situation, others did not, leading to confusion and frustration for many travelers who were left unaware of potential delays or cancellations. Despite these inconveniences, travelers were assured that the situation would return to normal as soon as possible.

Overall, Monday’s events served as a reminder that even seemingly minor technical glitches can have major impacts on travel plans and cause significant frustration for passengers. As such, it is important for airports and other transportation providers to communicate effectively with their customers about any potential delays or disruptions in order to minimize confusion and ensure that everyone stays informed throughout their journey.