Flights and trains serving Marseille faced severe disruptions for a second consecutive day on Tuesday as wildfires advanced towards southern France’s largest port city, according to Euronews.
Marseille Provence Airport halted all operations at midday due to a “particularly virulent” blaze near Les Pennes-Mirabeau, forcing diversions to Nice and Nîmes. Though flights resumed without restrictions by 09:30 on 9 July, significant delays and cancellations persist.
The airport confirmed continued disruptions, stating:
Delays or cancellations may nevertheless occur… Travellers with a reservation on a cancelled flight are asked not to go to the airport and to contact their airline to find out the conditions that apply.
Confirmed cancellations include: Turkish Airlines to Istanbul, Lufthansa to Frankfurt and Munich, Air France to Paris CDG, Aegean Airlines to Athens, Iberia to Madrid, Brussels Airlines to Brussels, and Pegasus Airlines to Istanbul.
Access roads and public transport to the airport remain compromised, with travellers urged to allow extra time. Rail services suffered major interruptions after flames approached tracks in Marseille’s L’Estaque district.
National operator SNCF warned services to/from Marseille would be “highly affected” on Wednesday, with over a dozen trains cancelled. Regional ZOU! rail suspended all routes between Marseille and Miramas.
Over 1,000 firefighters battled the inferno, which consumed 720 hectares amid 70 km/h winds. Nine firefighters sustained injuries, though no fatalities were reported.
Bouches-du-Rhône, Var, and Vaucluse departments remain under red alert, France’s highest wildfire risk level, following weeks of heatwaves. The disruptions coincide with peak summer holiday travel, compounding challenges for tourists and locals alike.
