Air Corsica flight to Ajaccio forced to hold after controller reportedly fell asleep

An unusual incident occurred at Ajaccio Airport on Monday evening, 15 September, when a flight from Paris-Orly was forced to hold for nearly an hour before landing. According to Corse Matin, the air traffic controller on duty had allegedly fallen asleep, leaving the arriving aircraft without landing clearance.

The flight, believed to be Air Corsica XK777, operated by an Airbus A320neo (registration F-HXKJ), had already departed Paris with a 27-minute delay. Upon arrival in Corsica, the crew received no response from the tower, while the runway lights were not activated. The captain eventually contacted airport firefighters, who then alerted the gendarmerie.

At one point, a diversion to Bastia was considered, but the controller later re-established communication and the aircraft landed safely, albeit with a delay of 1 hour and 18 minutes.

The episode raises questions about staffing and fatigue among air traffic controllers in Corsica, where traffic can double during the summer season. The French civil aviation authority (DGAC) normally requires redundancies to prevent such scenarios, particularly during evening operations when runway lighting is essential.