An airline official said on Sunday that two Air France pilots had been suspended after fighting in the cockpit in June during a flight from Geneva to Paris.
The pilot and co-pilot of the aircraft got into a fight shortly after takeoff from the Swiss city, which resulted in one of them punching the other and the two grasping for each other’s collars, according to Switzerland’s La Tribune.
The flight attendants had no choice but to step in, and one remained in the cockpit to watch after the couple for the remaining hour and fifteen minutes of the trip to the French capital.
According to an airline representative, the fight in the air had no impact on the rest of the flight, and the jet landed safely.
According to an airline representative, the fight in the air had no impact on the rest of the flight, and the jet landed safely.
According to Bloomberg, an airline spokeswoman also referred to the since-grounded pilots’ actions as being “absolutely improper.”
The suspension occurs as the Paris-based carrier is under closer investigation due to safety issues.
The BEA, France’s air investigative agency, stated in a report published last week that the airline’s pilots have promoted a culture of not strictly adhering to safety standards.
The report focused on a flight from Brazzaville, in the Republic of Congo, to Paris in December 2020. The crew discovered a fuel leak and diverted the plane to Chad before landing, but they didn’t cut the engine or land right away as required by safety procedures, which could have led to the engine catching fire.
The research listed three comparable incidents that occurred between 2017 and 2022 and said that pilots appeared to be operating in accordance with their own judgement rather than established safety rules.
In reaction to the study, Air France declared that it is conducting a safety audit and made a commitment to follow the agency’s recommendations.
This includes creating more stringent training manuals with regard to following procedures and enabling pilots to study the flights after a trip.