Flight heads back to Paris after being denied landing clearance in Chicago

CHICAGO (WKRC) – A flight headed back to Paris after being denied landing clearance in Chicago.

According to AviationA2Z, an Air France transatlantic flight to Chicago, Illinois headed back to Paris, France after a near seven-hour journey to nowhere.

The outlet, citing AIRLIVE, reported that Flight AF136 was reportedly denied landing clearance at Chicago O’Hare airport, which prompted the crew to reverse course mid-flight.

FlightRadar24 data shows that the plane took off from Paris at 12:49 p.m. on Saturday, June 28 and turned around over the Atlantic Ocean while between Iceland and Greenland.

The flight had already completed half of its journey when the crew redirected the flight to its point of origin, per the outlet.

A passenger speaking to AIRLIVE said the decision was made after the flight failed to receive landing authorization at Chicago O’Hare Airport, with Air France later confirming that the decision was made for “operational reasons,” although the company did not elaborate further.

The flight safely landed back in Paris around six hours and 37 minutes after departure, per AviationA2Z. A substitute service departed from Paris to Chicago on Sunday, June 29, the outlet reported.