Many Indian passengers stranded at Paris airport after Air France cancels connecting flight to Toronto

Passengers arrived in Paris on June 23 from Bombay on flight AF 217 and were to board AF 356 to Toronto, and the latter flight was cancelled. File
| Photo Credit: AFP

Air France has said its flight from Paris to Toronto was cancelled due to a technical problem and unavailability of a new aircraft, amid many passengers, including those who travelled from India to take the connecting flight, getting stranded at Paris airport.

In a tweet, Air France said it sincerely regrets the inconvenience caused by this situation and is doing its utmost to get customers to their final destination as quickly as possible.

The airline’s response was to a series of tweets by a Twitter user highlighting the issues being faced by the stranded Indian passengers at Paris airport.

“We confirm that flight AF356 on June 24, 2023, from Paris Charles de Gaulle to Toronto had to be cancelled due to a technical problem and the unavailability of a new aircraft.

“Some customers without Schengen visas and therefore not allowed to leave the terminal building were taken care of and assisted by Air France teams, and accommodated in a dedicated area of the airport. Air France sincerely regrets the inconvenience caused by this situation and is doing its utmost to get customers to their final destination as quickly as possible,” the airline said.

In a series of tweets, Paris-based journalist Noopur Tiwari said that for the record, passengers arrived in Paris on June 23 from Bombay on flight AF 217 and were to board AF 356 to Toronto, and the latter flight was cancelled.

She also tweeted a statement quoting Indian Embassy in Paris as saying, “Embassy officials are on way to the airport to negotiate with Air France and airport authorities to arrive at an amicable settlement”.

A statement from Air France on the issue was awaited.