Two Air France pilots have been suspended after a physical altercation in the cockpit during a flight from Geneva to Paris in June, an airline official confirmed on Sunday. The flight continued safely and landed without further incident, with the dispute not affecting the rest of the journey, the official said, emphasising the airline's commitment to safety.
According to Switzerland's La Tribune, the pilot and co-pilot argued shortly after takeoff and grabbed each other by the collars after one apparently struck the other. Cabin crew intervened, and one crew member remained in the cockpit with the pilots for the duration of the flight.
The incident came to light after France's air investigation agency, BEA, released a report on Wednesday criticising some Air France pilots for lacking rigour in following safety protocols during emergencies. The report focused on a fuel leak on a flight from Brazzaville to Paris in December 2020, where pilots rerouted the aircraft but did not shut down the engine or land as soon as possible, as procedure dictates. The plane landed safely in Chad, but the BEA warned of a potential fire risk.
The BEA cited three similar cases between 2017 and 2022, noting that some pilots relied on their own judgment rather than established safety procedures. Air France said it was conducting a safety audit in response and pledged to follow the BEA's recommendations, including allowing pilots to review their flights afterwards and tightening training manuals on adhering to protocols. The airline noted that it operates thousands of flights daily and that the report highlighted only four such incidents.
Air France pilots' unions insisted that safety remains paramount and defended pilots' actions during emergencies. The BEA also investigated an incident in April involving an Air France flight from New York's JFK airport that experienced flight control issues while approaching Paris.
