Why Orly is a special case
Paris-Orly handles around 33 million passengers a year across four connected terminals (Orly 1, 2, 3 and 4). It mixes two very different networks: a dense short- and medium-haul operation (Air France, Transavia, easyJet, Vueling, ITA Airways, Iberia, TAP, Tunisair, Air Algérie, Royal Air Maroc) and a long-haul network towards the French Caribbean, Réunion, West Africa and the Indian Ocean (Corsair, Air Caraïbes, French Bee).
Unlike Paris-Charles de Gaulle, Orly operates under a strict night curfew (roughly 11:30 pm to 6:00 am). No take-off or landing is permitted during those hours, which has direct consequences for passengers.
Disruption patterns specific to Orly
- Curfew-driven cancellations and diversions: a long-haul flight running late upstream may be diverted to Charles de Gaulle, Vatry or Lille, or cancelled outright because no slot remains. This is a classic source of overnight disruption at Orly.
- Flight reduction plans: during French air traffic control strikes, the civil aviation authority (DGAC) orders airlines to cancel a share of their schedule — often 30 to 50 % at Orly, historically the most affected airport.
- Slot cap: Orly is limited to 250,000 movements per year, leaving airlines little room to add a recovery flight on the same day.
- Standard causes: weather, late inbound aircraft, technical faults, and overbooking in peak season on Caribbean and North African routes.
Six things to do straight away
- Get the reason in writing. Ask the airline desk or customer service to state the exact cause of the delay or cancellation. It is the single most useful document in a claim file.
- Photograph the departure boards showing the delay, plus your boarding pass and gate.
- Do not leave the airport without a solution. Insist on re-routing or a refund, and note the name of the agent you dealt with.
- Keep every receipt: meals, taxi, hotel, missed transfers, extra night at destination.
- Plan your way back into Paris. Metro line 14 now links Orly to central Paris in about 30 minutes, with tram T7, the Orlybus and RER C (via Pont-de-Rungis) as alternatives. If services have stopped for the night, keep the taxi or ride-hailing receipt.
- Never sign a waiver of your statutory rights in exchange for a voucher.
Your right to care, whatever the cause
Article 9 of Regulation (EC) No 261/2004 obliges the airline to look after you once the wait exceeds 2 hours (flights up to 1,500 km), 3 hours (1,500–3,500 km) or 4 hours (beyond): food and drink, two phone calls or messages, and hotel accommodation plus transfers if an overnight stay is required. This duty applies even during strikes or extreme weather. If the airline fails to provide it, keep your receipts — reasonable expenses can be reclaimed independently of any compensation.
When compensation is due
A fixed compensation applies when:
- you reach your final destination 3 hours late or more (connections included, on a single booking);
- your flight is cancelled and you were told less than 14 days before departure, without re-routing close to the original schedule;
- you are denied boarding due to overbooking despite checking in on time.
Amounts are based on great-circle distance:
- €250 up to 1,500 km — Orly–Toulouse, Orly–Nice, Orly–Lisbon, Orly–Algiers.
- €400 for intra-EU flights over 1,500 km and all other flights between 1,500 and 3,500 km — Orly–Athens, Orly–Marrakech, Orly–Dakar.
- €600 for non-EU flights over 3,500 km — Orly–Papeete, Orly–Montreal.
Key point for Caribbean and Indian Ocean routes: Guadeloupe, Martinique, Réunion, Mayotte and French Guiana are outermost regions of the European Union. An Orly–Pointe-à-Pitre or Orly–Saint-Denis flight therefore counts as intra-Community, capping compensation at €400 rather than €600 despite the distance. Many passengers — and some claim forms — get this wrong.
What does not qualify
"Extraordinary circumstances" release the airline from paying: air traffic control strikes, dangerous weather, airspace closure, bird strike, security instructions. However, the Court of Justice of the EU has held that a strike by the airline's own staff or an ordinary technical fault falls within normal operations, so compensation remains payable. A curfew-related diversion at Orly must be assessed on its facts: what matters is the original cause of the delay, not the night closure itself.
Deadlines and evidence
Claims can be filed for flights operated up to 3 years ago. Gather your booking confirmation, boarding passes, correspondence with the airline and expense receipts. The process is handled amicably with the carrier — no travel, no upfront cost.
Airlines Quick Refund reviews your case free of charge, checks the distance, the actual arrival delay and the reason given by the airline, then manages all communication on your behalf. Our 35 % fee applies only if compensation is obtained: no result, no charge.
Was your flight to or from Paris-Orly delayed, cancelled or overbooked? Check your eligibility in under two minutes with our compensation calculator.