An Air France flight bound for Chicago O’Hare (ORD) was forced to execute a rare mid-Atlantic U-turn and return to Paris on June 28, 2025. The incident involved an Airbus A350-900 that spent nearly seven hours in the air only to land back at its departure airport.
Flight AF136 departed Paris-Charles de Gaulle (CDG) at 12:49 PM local time, following its scheduled path across the Atlantic. Approximately four hours into the journey, while cruising between Iceland and Greenland, the crew initiated a 180-degree turn. Instead of continuing to North America, the aircraft flew all the way back to France, landing safely at CDG around 6:37 PM local time.
The diversion was triggered by an administrative “operational issue” rather than a mechanical failure. Reports confirm that the specific Airbus A350-900 aircraft used for the flight had not received the necessary landing clearance for Chicago O’Hare. Without the proper authorization to land in the United States, the pilots were legally required to abort the mission and return to their hub.
Passengers onboard faced a frustrating “flight to nowhere,” spending roughly seven hours flying without reaching their destination. Upon landing in Paris, travelers were provided hotel accommodations and rebooked on alternative flights the following day. Air France apologized for the inconvenience, citing the rigid regulatory requirements that forced the decision.