CDG
Paris
JFK
New York
Paris to New York
Flight Compensation
Air France's flagship transatlantic route — and the hardest to claim against in France.
CDG–JFK is Air France's most prominent transatlantic route and one of the highest-value EC261 claim corridors in Europe. Air France operates 2–3 daily flights, typically with the B777-300ER. The central legal complexity: Air France internal strikes (cabin crew, pilots) are claimable under EC261 — not extraordinary. But DGAC air traffic controller strikes are a contested grey zone. Knowing which caused your delay is the critical first step. French courts have increasingly sided with passengers on internal strike claims following the Krüsemann ruling.
€600
Max compensation (EC261 tier 3)
5,837 km
Route distance
7h 45m
Scheduled flight time
Max Compensation
€600
per passenger · CDG departures
> 3,500 km · Long-haul
Average processing: 55 days
Free check · 5 years limit · No fee unless we win
01Route Intelligence
CDG is France's largest hub with four runways but a complex multi-terminal layout that creates significant inter-terminal transfer delays. Air France operates from CDG Terminal 2 exclusively. DGAC data shows CDG-departing flights have an average 32-minute ATFM delay per affected flight in summer. Air France internal industrial action has caused at least 15 major disruption events since 2015.
Our Success Rate
79%
on CDG–JFK claims
Average Payout
€574
per passenger
Peak Disruption Periods
May – June (Strike Season)
French labour law makes May–June peak strike season; Air France pilot and cabin crew unions historically launch industrial action in spring; DGAC controller unions also most active
July – August
Holiday traffic peak at CDG combined with reduced French ATC staffing; JFK summer storm season creates inbound cascade delays
December Holiday Period
Maximum capacity at both CDG and JFK; Air France operates wide-body maximum frequency with tight turnarounds
Key Legal Nuance on This Route
What Makes CDG–JFK Claims Different
The Krüsemann ruling (ECJ C-195/17, 2018) is the controlling authority: Air France's own internal strikes (pilots, cabin crew) are NOT extraordinary circumstances under EC261. Only DGAC air traffic controller strikes — as state employees — remain contested. If your delay was caused by Air France staff industrial action, you have a valid claim regardless of how Air France frames it.
02Airlines on This Route
Who operates CDG–JFK, their delay record, and how they resist claims.
Air France
AFAvg Delay
58min
Claim Success
76%
How AF Resists Claims on This Route
Air France has historically been among the most litigated EC261 defendants in Europe. Their primary tactic on CDG–JFK: conflating internal cabin crew or pilot strike impacts with DGAC ATC actions. Claimants must specifically identify whether the strike was internal (Air France employees) or DGAC controllers — only the latter may constitute extraordinary circumstances.
Delta Air Lines
DLAvg Delay
42min
Claim Success
82%
How DL Resists Claims on This Route
Delta on CDG–JFK cites JFK ATC restrictions (FAA) as extraordinary on the outbound leg. Since CDG is the departure airport for EC261 purposes, FAA ground delays at JFK must have caused a late inbound rotation to apply. Delta must document this chain specifically.
03Disruption Causes & Legal Status
What actually causes delays on CDG–JFK — and whether each is extraordinary under EC261.
Air France Internal Strike (Pilot / Cabin Crew)
~30% of disruption events
Air France pilot (SNPL) and cabin crew (UNAC-CGT) unions periodically strike, causing widespread cancellations and delays across all AF long-haul routes including CDG–JFK. Air France issues disruption communications citing 'social movement' — legally neutral language.
Post-Krüsemann (ECJ 2018): strikes by Air France's own employees are within the airline's sphere of influence. They are not extraordinary circumstances. EC261 compensation applies. Your claim is valid.
DGAC Air Traffic Controller Strike
~15% of disruption events
French DGAC (Direction Générale de l'Aviation Civile) air traffic controllers — state employees — strike periodically. These directly restrict CDG departure capacity, affecting all airlines including Air France.
DGAC controller strikes are the one genuinely contested extraordinary circumstances category at CDG. Courts in France and Germany have diverged. The ECJ has not definitively ruled. We assess each case: if Air France had advance notice (strike declared 5+ days early), they must show rerouting measures were considered.
CDG Runway Congestion / ATFM Restrictions
~35% of delays
Despite 4 runways, CDG faces ATFM congestion during peak periods. Eurocontrol issues slot delays that affect all CDG departures, including CDG–JFK.
CDG ATFM congestion management is a foreseeable feature of operating Europe's second-busiest airport. Air France cannot claim capacity management as extraordinary circumstances for a hub it has operated from for 50+ years.
Technical Defect (B777-300ER)
~15% of delays
Air France's B777-300ER fleet (primary CDG–JFK aircraft) experiences engine, hydraulic or systems failures pre-departure. CDG's maintenance base gives AF extensive technical resources at their hub.
Standard Wallentin-Hermann analysis — technical defects at an airline's home hub are particularly unlikely to meet the extraordinary threshold given the maintenance infrastructure available. AF must prove genuinely unforeseeable failure.
04How We Handle CDG–JFK Claims
You submit your flight details
2 minutes. Flight number, date, and what happened. We identify the operating carrier automatically — critical for codeshare routes.
We verify the CDG–JFK specific cause
We verify the nature of any Air France industrial action against DGAC records, Air France union announcements, and flight disruption databases. We identify whether the cause was internal AF staff (claimable) or DGAC controllers (contested) — the critical distinction that Air France routinely blurs in their denial letters.
Submission, escalation, and payment
French DGAC (Direction Générale de l'Aviation Civile) is the enforcement body. Air France has a complex escalation relationship with DGAC — we handle claims in French where required. Air France also has an ADR scheme through the Médiation Tourisme et Voyage (MTV).
05EC261 on CDG–JFK
EC261 applies because CDG is a EU airport
Your departure airport (CDG, Paris) is in France. EC261 covers all flights departing EU airports, regardless of airline nationality or destination. The fact that your destination (JFK, New York) is in United States does not change the applicable regulation.
Enforcement Body
Direction Générale de l'Aviation Civile (DGAC)
Claim Time Limit
5 years from flight date
06Frequently Asked Questions
Real questions from passengers who flew CDG–JFK.
Air France cancelled my CDG–JFK flight during a strike. Can I claim €600?
This depends on which employees were striking. If Air France's own pilots or cabin crew were on strike (an Air France internal action), you are entitled to €600 per passenger under the Krüsemann ruling — this is not extraordinary circumstances. If the strike was by DGAC state air traffic controllers, the position is more complex and depends on whether AF took all reasonable measures.
My CDG–JFK delay was 4 hours and Air France cited 'technical reasons.' Is that extraordinary?
Unlikely. At CDG — Air France's own maintenance hub — technical defects must be shown to be genuinely unforeseeable and undiscoverable through regular maintenance. The bar is especially high when the aircraft is delayed at the airline's own base with full maintenance resources available.
I have 5 years from the CDG–JFK flight date to claim — is that right?
Yes. France applies a 5-year limitation period for EC261 claims, governed by the French Code de la consommation. This is longer than Germany (3 years) but shorter than UK (6 years). Do not delay — evidence degrades over time.
Ready to Claim?
Start Your CDG → JFK Claim
No win, no fee. We verify the exact delay cause, identify the operating carrier, and submit directly to Direction Générale de l'Aviation Civile (DGAC) if needed.