Rabat – Air France has suspended two pilots after they were involved in a physical altercation in the cockpit during a Geneva-Paris flight in June.
The airline confirmed the suspension of the pilots in a statement on Monday, emphasizing that the two pilots were involved in a fight and exchanged “inappropriate gestures.”
Air France said: “The incident was quickly resolved without affecting the conduct or safety of the flight, which continued normally.”
The pilots are suspended from flying and are “awaiting a managerial decision on the outcome/treatment of the incident,” the airline said, reassuring that the safety of their passengers is “an absolute priority.”
Despite the incident occurring a few months ago, the story about the pilots’ fight in the cockpit continues to make international headlines.
Switzerland’s news outlet La Tribune broke the story about the fight between the pilot and co-pilot, saying the pair began their dispute shortly after takeoff.
Both pilots participated in the fight after one hit the other, before the cabin crew intervened, the report said.
France’s Bureau of Enquiry and Analysis for Civil Aviation Safety (BEA) issued a report last week, stating that some Air France pilots “lack rigor in respecting procedures during safety incidents.”
The report recounted an incident of a fuel leak on an Air France flight from Brazzaville to Paris in December 2020.
During the flight, it said, pilots, rerouted the aircraft without shutting off its engines during the fuel leak, which could have resulted in a fire.
