Air Traffic Controller Falls Asleep on Duty Forcing Plane to Circle Over Sea for 18 Minutes

Passengers on a Paris to Corsica flight had the most unbelievable delay this week: their plane couldn’t land because the air traffic controller literally fell asleep on duty.

The bizarre incident happened on Monday, September 16, when an Air Corsica flight from Paris Orly to Ajaccio arrived late and found no one at the control tower to clear it. The air traffic controller on duty had nodded off, leaving the pilot with no choice but to keep flying loops for 18 minutes over the sea.

According to France’s civil aviation authority, firefighters eventually had to rush to the tower to check on the situation. There they discovered the controller fast asleep. Once he was woken up, the runway lights were switched on and the plane landed safely.

The delay was long enough that the captain had already prepared for a possible diversion to Bastia, another city on the island. “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 pilot told French media.

Officials confirmed the controller tested negative for alcohol, but an investigation has been launched. Sanctions are being considered against the staff involved.

Flight delays are normal, but circling the sky because someone fell asleep? That’s next-level chaos. For Filipino travellers flying to or within Europe, this is a reminder that even in countries with strict aviation systems, weird disruptions can happen. Always:

Check flight updates regularly

Keep essentials within reach in case of delays

Stay calm when things don’t go as planned

Because sometimes, the reason your flight is late isn’t weather or traffic…  it’s because the controller literally dozed off.