PARIS: With just one year to go before Paris hosts the Olympic Games one of the city`s airports suffered an unprecedented breakdown on Thursday that led to a mountain of luggage piling up and delayed flights.

A breakdown in the luggage-sorting equipment at terminal four of Orly airport meant that baggage had to be handled by hand.

That resulted in many flights leaving late and without the luggage of theirpassengersonboard, according to the airport operator and airlines.

According to Marc Rochet, head of the French Bee and Air Caraibes airlines usingthe affected terminal, flight s took off with delays between one and three hours and without luggage that had been checked in.

`We didn`t have another option, otherwise the whole system would be blocked,` he said. Passengers` luggage would be flown on to them on following flights. Airport operator ADP estimated 10,000 passengers on 40 flights were affected. but said that the reason for the breakdown had not been determined.

It was trying to adapt by having planes use other terminals at the airport or use Paris Charles de Gaulle airport.-AFP