How an Air Traffic Controller’s Small Nap Led to Stranded Tourists on the Way to Corsica

An Air Corsica flight which had taken off from Orly Airport in Paris on Monday, was forced to circle over the Mediterranean Sea for approximately 18 minutes because a member of staff at Corsica’s air traffic control (ATC) had fallen asleep. 

"The intervention of the airport fire department at the control tower revealed that the air traffic controller on duty had fallen asleep at his post," the local aviation authorities in Ajaccio, Corsica, revealed in a statement. 

Once the ATC staff member was woken, the flight was guided to land safely in Corsica. Although no one was harmed and no disaster occurred, the airport authorities have confirmed that an investigation has been launched into what they are describing as an "unusual situation". It is worth noting that the staff member tested negative for any intoxicating substances. 

A similar incident occurred in Australia in 2022, A Brisbane-based controller was found asleep at their desk after working multiple consecutive night shifts. The Airservices Australia controller was discovered snoozing under a blanket while responsible for managing the Cairns Terminal Control Unit at 5:15 am on 9 December 2022. 

Although these incidents have thankfully never resulted in accidents, they highlight underlying issues like consecutive night shifts, ineffective fatigue management systems and low workload periods that reduce alertness. Authorities must consider reforms to ensure such incidents can be avoided in the future.