Paris Orly Airport

1 hour and 20 minutes to get through passport control on a broken ankle which was ridiculously understaffed. This was followed by a 20 minute wait for the bag checked. The flights were all delayed because of how slow the process was. The airport was deserted in the departure lounge, except for passengers running for their respective flights. Embarrassing.

✅ Verified Review | Terrible experience like the last reviewer. A queue 100m long. Only two human passport controls and one biometric control that barely worked. So sat in queue for 30 mins. Then to security - faster, but then the trays got blocked up and wouldn't come thru. More waiting. Really a farcical experience for what I would have thought is supposed to be a major airport.

My family experience through Paris Orly West today included a 20 minute wait to be dropped off by family at the 'depose minute' which only has one lane and no traffic warden. Come early or you might miss your flight. Next, check-in wasn't so bad but I get fast lane privilege with BA. The queue for customs was horrendous. They had 2 super long lines and we queued a good 45mn to get past customs. It felt like a classic TSA check all over again, or a classic French down time moment or the usual strike. Don't expect fast track privilege unless you have a business ticket or if you have an Air France / Delta card. The waiting hall is tiny and overcrowded with a very limited catering facilities. Don't expect great duty free shopping in here either. Overall a poorly run airport that has never upgraded to the demands and expectations of the 21st century traveller. On the good side, the WiFi was good, they sell delicious macaroons and it is a good location when travelling on the south side of Paris.

Checking at Paris Orly Hall 1 then having to go through Hall 3 to board is a nonsense, inconvenient and defies logic. Toilets had no soap in any of the dispensers. On boarding the aircraf we were hearded onto the bus like sardines - way too many people. We were then kept on bus as the aircraft wasn't ready - it was hot and hugely overcrowded. All in all flying from Orly was an ordeal. Amateurish and unprofessional.

Paris Orly is a medium-sized second airport of the French capital serving some international routes but not inter-continental longhaul flights. The shorter travel distance to town appeals to some, but public transportation is less convenient (except its shorter route for using a taxi) then to CDG, being served by airbus and one public bus route, but the faster and more reliable train service here is a light rail that necessitates change if using the metro. It is my choice if I go to the southern part of Paris such as Montparnasse. I fly frequently between Paris and London and I have a choice between CDG and ORY. But CDG is the choice if you have an international connection, as most international flights go to CDG,

Having used Paris CDG a few times and found it terrible I was really impressed by my transit at Orly West. The airport is easy to navigate; the transit on City Jet to Air France was smooth returning, on the way out I missed my connection due to a late inbound flight but the staff at Air France were brilliant in sorting me out. I wonder if this is a cultural thing at Orly, because it does serve as a contrast to CDG where I have generally found Air France staff less helpful? Orly also had a kind of retro-charm about it.

Crowded for a such small airport. Nice location close to Paris. Quite messy and rather untidy. Security staff are not of the kindest type however it is often the case. Orly West seems better that Orly South. Shops and duty frees have improved in the past years.

More than 30 minutes queuing just to get my passport checked, while some customs staff were just waiting doing nothing.

Departure lounge very hot and crowded (in April) so will get worse I think. At check inwe were told to board at 2 - 'please be on time as your on a shuttle bus' 1.30 told to board. 1.35 announcement 'gate is closing'. Rushed to gate - got on bus at 1.40. Sat on bus in the hot sun until 2.25. (take-off was supposed to be 2.35). An airport official came on the bus looking for some missing passengers. Got no information/explanation/ apology as to why we were kept on the bus - took off about 15 mins late. Got no 'sorry we've messed you about etc' message from anybody.

Very few entrance points from the street into the terminal at the South Terminal. Bad security checkpoint service. Staff courtesy very low. Speaker announcements at the gate were all in French no English translation.