Residents report roof damage

Residents of Athis-Mons, a town in the Essonne department, are reporting damage to their homes caused by low-altitude flights from Orly airport. Some have experienced tiles being dislodged from their roofs, with the damage reportedly occurring when planes fly very close to residential areas.

Local roofer describes the problem

Mathieu Robin, a local roofer, has completed around a dozen roof repairs in the past three months. He says the damage is a major issue in the area between McDonald's and Carrefour, where planes fly as low as 60 to 80 meters above homes. He estimates repair costs can range from 4000 to 5000 euros.

Airport company denies responsibility

Groupe ADP, which operates Orly airport, has denied responsibility for the damage, stating that the Direction générale de l'aviation civile (DGAC) is responsible for flight path planning. ADP says it has asked the DGAC to investigate the incidents and acknowledges that it is "not acceptable" for residents to suffer damage from overflights.

ADP offers limited compensation

ADP has confirmed it is handling about a dozen requests from affected residents but is only offering compensation of 300 euros per person. This amount is significantly lower than the cost of repairs, which can reach several thousand euros.

Mayor calls for fair compensation

Mayor Jean-Jacques Grousseau of Athis-Mons, a member of the Socialist Party, has received numerous complaints and insists that affected residents should be compensated for the damage they have suffered. He notes that the residents did not request these low-altitude flights and that the affected runway is part of ongoing renovations. The runway is not expected to reopen before mid-December.