Rabat – A routine evening service between Paris and Rabat ended abruptly on Friday, April 10, after a safety-related diversion forced an Air France aircraft to return to its departure airport.
The flight AF1358, operated by an Airbus A220-300, left Paris-Charles-de-Gaulle at 9:03 p.m. with Morocco as its destination. The journey progressed normally at first, with passengers expecting a standard arrival in Rabat later that night.
Roughly half an hour after takeoff, the crew identified an unusual smell inside the cabin while the aircraft passed above the southern Tours airspace. The situation led the flight team to trigger emergency protocols and request an immediate return to Paris.
Flight tracking data from FlightAware, as cited by Actu Paris, confirmed that the aircraft transmitted an emergency code before reversing course toward the capital.
The airline Air France later confirmed that a “pungent smell in the cabin” caused the decision. The company stated that the crew acted in line with manufacturer procedures, internal safety rules, and strict precaution principles.
The aircraft touched down at Paris-Charles-de-Gaulle at 10:06 p.m. No technical incident followed the landing, and authorities reported no injuries among passengers or crew.
Upon arrival, airline staff met passengers and organized assistance, including alternative travel arrangements to complete their journey to Rabat.
The incident caused a brief disruption but remained within standard aviation safety response procedures, where any abnormal cabin condition leads to immediate precautionary action.
