Major U.S. airlines are operating normal flight schedules
after attacks in Paris on Friday, Nov. 13, left 129 confirmed dead and caused
French President Francois Hollande to declare a state of emergency and close
national borders.
American Airlines canceled a flight to Paris on Friday night
but was operating a standard schedule as of noon Saturday, according to reports
from a CBS affiliate in Dallas. United Airlines and Delta Air Lines did not
alter flight schedules into or out of Paris’ Charles de Gaulle or Orly
airports, but airlines continue to cooperate with heightened security imposed
at the airport.
U.S. airlines continue to offer change fee waivers for
flights to Paris. Click here for up-to-date policies for American Airlines,
Delta
and United.
British Airways, also operating a normal schedule, advised
via its website that the French government "has asked for extra security
checks at all airports in the country, and this may lead to delays to flights
from France." Air France has also maintained its schedules, but passenger
reports on Twitter and other social media outlets showed long lines at Charles
de Gaulle as of Saturday, and CDG's official website continues to advise
travelers: "Strengthening controls. Further delays expected. Thank you for
your understanding."
Industry Support
Global Business Travel Association president Christle
Johnson acknowledged business travelers stranded in Paris after the attacks.
"We will do everything we can to
provide resources to these travelers in this time of need," she said in a
statement.
Association of Corporate Travel Executives executive
director Greeley Koch noted that "most business travel managers have an emergency
contingency plan they can activate right away" but also noted that
business travel to France may be affected in the near term. "A certain
percentage of companies will automatically cancel trips to a city in crisis and
evacuate their travelers quickly. Others will evaluate the impact of the crisis
and act accordingly," he said.
Tensions Ripple Through Europe
French borders reopened on Saturday morning, but airports
and border crossings throughout Europe felt the impact immediately. Authorities
reacted quickly to minimize additional threats.
Authorities shut down the North Terminal of London's Gatwick
Airport for hours on Saturday morning, when a man discarded an undisclosed item
and was arrested on suspicion of firearms offenses. The Associated Press quoted
British detective superintendent Nick May as saying, “Given the events in Paris
on Friday evening, there is heightened awareness around any such incident.”
In Amsterdam, all passengers were evacuated from Air France’s
Saturday afternoon flight 1741 from Schiphol airport, bound for Charles de
Gaulle, after authorities intercepted terror threats via Twitter account
@JihadiJohn8, reading, "Yesterday Paris and now @BrusselsAirport and
@Schiphol will be attacked very soon by our brothers. #ParisAttacks #isis".
Luggage was rescreened, and the plane was searched. The effort uncovered
nothing and passengers were reboarded.
Land border crossings, largely unsecured across Europe, have
been tightened in several countries from Belgium to Hungary. Italy raised its
terror threat to Level Two, which permits military intervention.