On June 28, 2025, Air France Flight AF136, an Airbus A350-900 flying from Chicago O’Hare International Airport (ORD) to Paris-Charles de Gaulle Airport (CDG), caught headlines when it made an emergency diversion in the Atlantic.
More than seven hours into its flight, the plane had to turn back to Paris when landing clearance was denied in Chicago, much to the dismay of passengers, aviation enthusiasts, and industry experts.
Becoming a centre of debate on issues such as aviation logistics, regulations compliance, and passenger rights in 2025, this incident has sparked numerous discussions on various platforms, including X and Reddit. Here is a list of everything you need to know about the Air France A350 Chicago flight turnaround, including the timeframe of the event and its broader implications.
The Flight and The Turnaround
At 12:49 CEST, June 28, 2025, Flight AF136 took off from Paris-Charles de Gaulle Airport, gate M48, Terminal 2E. The plane departed runway 26R and reached a cruising altitude of 38,000 feet after flying a typical transatlantic route across the UK on the Airbus A350-900 (registration F-HUVR).
The flight continued normally, and hours passed, with the passengers expecting to arrive at Chicago. However, at around 16:30 CEST, while flying over the mid-Atlantic, between Iceland and Greenland, the crew reached an alarming conclusion to turn back.
Data released by FlightRadar24 showed that the plane was almost halfway on its route when it returned. The Air France reason presented in this case was operational; however, passenger reports published in the aviation newsletter AIRLIVE revealed the actual cause behind the decision: the flight did not obtain a valid landing clearance at Chicago O’Hare, specifically because U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) did not approve it. This bureaucracy had the aircraft returned to Paris, where it landed safely on runway 27R at CDG after spending six hours and 37 minutes in the air.
Passenger Feedback and the Responsiveness of Airlines
To the passengers on board AF136, it was a journey of uncertainty and anger. Families, business travellers, and tourists who were supposed to arrive at Chicago found themselves in yet another agonising transatlantic loop back in Paris.
The mood was captured in social media posts with one of the passengers, LiliB (LiliBTweets), posting on Twitter: “My daughter and son-in-law are flying Air France and there are still 4 hours to Chicago. They had to turn the plane round owing to clearance problems and are returning to France. This reversal at the last moment left plans upset and commitments cancelled.
Air France was quick to react to curtail the blowback. The airline offered struggling passengers overnight hotel accommodations in Paris and rebooked them onto a new flight, AF4080, which departed CDG for Chicago at 14:20 CEST on June 29.
Ground personnel were organised to provide assistance, and it is necessary to adhere to European Union passenger rights rules, which prioritise passenger attention in the event of significant disruptions. Although these measures cushioned the impact, the incident shook travellers, as many of them wondered how such an error could have occurred.
Why Was Clearance Denied?
Chicago O’Hare’s denial of landing clearance was a result of failure to obtain advance CBP permission, which is a significant requirement when international flights approach the U.S. Chicago O’Hare is one of the busiest airports in the world, with strict safety and security measures.
To avert accidents, the Federal Aviation Authority (FAA) and the residents of Chicago have become stricter in enforcing their regulations, recruiting in excess of 2,000 new air traffic controllers and installing cutting-edge tracking systems. Although these measures improve safety, they require accuracy on the part of the airlines.
It remains unclear what exactly caused the clearance problem, as neither Air France nor O’Hare authorities provided any thorough explanations. There is speculation on forums such as Reddit that a lapse in pre-flight coordination may have occurred, as some users believe the flight plan might not have accounted for headwinds or route variations.
However, this does not seem feasible given the aircraft’s fuel capacity. Some blame bureaucratic mistakes, like incomplete documentation, as the source of the problem. Regardless of the cause, the accident highlights the precariousness of international aviation with its dance of complex manoeuvres.
Greater Effects on Aviation
The AF136 air crash has sparked debates on the vulnerability on operations of global air travel. Airlines cannot afford to be dependent on smooth communication between air traffic control, customs authorities, and ground operations.
Even one wrong move, such as a lack of CBP clearance, can lead to huge disruptions. To Air France, the incident presents reputational risks, as passengers will demand reliability on high-end transatlantic flights served by the modern, streamlined A350, a fuel-efficient design.
Aviation professionals are insisting on stricter pre-flight clearance measures to avoid such accidents. Recommendations include making ocean crossings mandatory and more comprehensive in terms of disruption transparency. The financial impact of the incident also includes rebooking, accommodation and crew rescheduling, costing airlines millions, as well as a ripple effect on schedules and aircraft rotations.
On the part of the passenger, it highlights the importance of travel insurance and flexible booking. Flight tracking apps, such as FlightAware, which recorded the route of AF136, have become critical in keeping people in the know.
It has also sparked online discussion, with Reddit discussion forums such as r/aviation inquiring why it did not divert to a nearby American airport, possibly due to fuel restrictions and clearance issues; however, Paris was likely the only viable option.
Social Media and Cultural Media Buzz
This Air France A350 Chicago flight back has attracted publicity well beyond the aviation community. Hashtags such as #AF136 and #ChicagoFlight were popular on X with people posting their theories and frustrations. The Reddit r/chicago and r/aviation forums were filled with speculation, some criticising media reports on the subject due to headlines that misrepresented an apparent last-minute clearance denial.
A user (u/factchecker01) commented, stating that it is evident that ORD clearance had nothing to do with it turning around soon after it went on the tracks, as there is some confusion regarding the timing.
This event is so viral because the year 2025 is obsessed with aviation thrillers, and enhanced by live tracking and social media. News websites such as Aviation A2Z and Visaverge helped to stoke the discussion, publishing articles that dissected the logistics and impact on passengers of the event. This internet buzz has caused Air France A350 Chicago flight return to become one of the most popular search results, increasing its exposure on Google.
In Retrospect: What We Learned
The AF136 incident can be seen as a wake-up call in the aviation industry. Airlines can now focus on clearance checks to prevent expensive disruptions, and regulators may take the lead to enforce stronger compliance. To passengers, the accident highlights uncertainties that face international flights, including the highly developed A350 aircraft.
The quick response offered by Air France in terms of hotels, rebooking and communication is a standard; however, Air France must revisit internal operations to restore confidence. By September 2025, the incident remains a trending topic, and discussions regarding aviation safety, passenger rights, and the complexities of global travel continue.
It doesn’t matter whether you are a flight enthusiast or an average traveller, the Air France A350 Chicago return flight makes you recall how complex the mechanisms are that keep the aeroplanes in the air, and how expensive it is to the human head when they fail to work.