Two Air France pilots suspended after an altercation in the cockpit

Air France has suspended two of its pilots following an altercation during which “inappropriate gestures were exchangedin the cockpit during a Geneva-Paris flight in June, we learned from the company on Monday.

“Air France confirms that following a dispute between the two pilots at the controls of an A320 operating the Geneva-Paris route in June 2022, inappropriate gestures were exchanged“, indicates the company. “The pilots concerned are currently stopped from flying and are awaiting a managerial decision which will rule on the outcome and the treatment to be given to the event.“, she adds.

Refusal to follow instructions

According The gallery, which revealed the information, the incident occurred shortly after takeoff in the climb phase when the co-pilot refused to follow an instruction. The two men then grabbed each other by the collar while remaining in their cockpit. “The incident ended quickly without affecting either the conduct or the safety of the flight which continued normally“, according to Air France, which recalls that “the safety of its customers and crew members is its top priority“.

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In a report recently made public, the French authority responsible for investigating aircraft accidents notes the recurrence of incidents during which safety rules were ignored by Air France crews. The Bureau of Investigation and Analysis (BEA) notably called on the company to “put compliance with procedures at the center of the company’s safety culture“.