ATC staffer falls asleep, plane hovers over airport for an hour

A flight full of passengers was left circling the skies over Corsica for nearly an hour after an air traffic controller at Ajaccio’s Napoleon Bonaparte Airport fell asleep during the night shift.

Shortly after midnight on Tuesday, an Air Corsica Airbus A320 began its descent toward the airport in Ajaccio, the capital of the French Mediterranean island, Corsica, but received no response from the airport’s control tower, according to a report in The Times.

The passenger plane with tourists was forced to fly around in circles above the Mediterranean Sea for “18 minutes”, the UK’s Daily Mail reported. France’s civil aviation authority also confirmed the incident on Wednesday.

With communication failing, the aircraft, which was still in contact with regional approach controllers, began preparations for a possible diversion to Bastia, a port city on the opposite side of the island.

In the meantime, airport fire crews were dispatched to the control tower to investigate the blackout. When banging on the door failed to get a response, staff contacted local police and eventually gained access to the tower.

To their surprise, they found the controller asleep at his desk, The Times reported. Once awakened, he quickly turned on the runway lights and cleared the flight for landing. The aircraft touched down safely.

According to Corse Matin, the island newspaper, just one controller was on duty awaiting the delayed Paris flight, and the island’s lone 2,400-metre runway was dark.

PILOT RECOUNTS RARE ORDEAL AS PASSENGERS REMAIN CALM

“In a career of several decades, I have never had to handle such a situation. We did a little tour. At no time was there any panic. Everyone stayed calm,” The Times quoted the pilot as saying, who was not named.

The passengers treated the incident with good humour, he added.

France’s Civil Aviation Authority confirmed the incident and launched an investigation into the “unusual situation”, UK’s Daily Mail reported.

The controller was tested for alcohol and drugs and returned negative results. Though no immediate disciplinary action was taken, authorities said “a possible sanction is under consideration”.

The authority has said that it has opened an investigation into the “unusual situation”, according to a Northern Virginia-based news outlet, InsideNoVA.

Ajaccio airport, which sees over 50 commercial flights daily, declined to comment on the incident.

STAFFING WOES FUEL AIR TRAFFIC CONTROL STRIKES DESPITE HIGH SALARIES: REPORT

The incident has highlighted ongoing concerns around staffing.

As The Times noted, French controllers, who are civil servants, have repeatedly gone on strike in recent years, citing understaffing and overwhelming workloads. Despite earning salaries that can reach 120,000 (approximately Rs 1.23 crore) a year and benefiting from early retirement options, controllers have warned that working conditions are becoming “unsustainable”.

Last year, two Batik Air co-pilots dozed off for nearly 30 minutes during a flight from Southeast Sulawesi to Jakarta, Indonesia. The 28-year-old pilot, struggling with sleep after the birth of his twins and a recent move, fell asleep during the first leg, according to The Daily Mail.

After landing and a snack break, both pilots fell asleep again at 36,000 ft. Air traffic control lost contact for 28 minutes until the older pilot woke, corrected the course, and safely landed the plane, the report added.

– Ends