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Ajaccio Tower Controller Asleep on Duty Delays Air Corsica Landing

Regulators opened a probe spotlighting controller fatigue, thin night staffing.

Overview

  • An Air Corsica A320neo arriving from Paris Orly on September 15 lost contact with the Ajaccio tower and found the runway lights off, forcing the crew to hold.
  • The pilots alerted airport fire services and then police, who entered the tower and found the lone on-duty controller asleep before service was restored for a safe landing.
  • Authorities said alcohol and drug tests for the controller were negative, and disciplinary steps along with a medical evaluation are under review.
  • Reports differ on how long the aircraft circled, with early accounts citing about an hour and Corse Matin reporting roughly 18 minutes.
  • DGAC confirmed an investigation and said a second controller was assigned but on a four-hour break, a setup that reignited concerns about fatigue management and night staffing resilience.