The collapse of one of the terminals at the Charles de Gaulle airport near Paris last May was caused by structural faults, said a commission appointed by the French government.

The report identifies four likely causes of the collapse of the roof at Terminal 2E. They were:

  • Insufficient or badly positioned steel reinforcements in the concrete
  • Lack of secondary supports for the structure
  • Weakness in the supporting beam because of ventilation shafts
  • The position of metal reinforcing struts in the ceiling.

It suggested the cold weather on the day of the collapse could have triggered the accident, in which four people died, as the temperature change would have exaggerated the stresses.

Jean Berthier, president of the inquiry, said: “The concrete shell had been progressively weakened. It held up to start with, but had its reserves of resistance used up over time.”

Airport operator Aéroports de Paris said it would decide in April whether to repair or rebuild the terminal, after its own investigation.

The commission, which has spent nine months on the inquiry, was not asked to determine blame. Judicial officials are investigating whether any individual should be held responsible.