An argument between the pilot and co-pilot of the Airbus A320 erupted and turned physical during a flight between Geneva and Paris in June, French weekly La Tribune reported. The fight was the latest in a series of incidents that have raised questions about safety at the French flag carrier, which is one of the world’s largest airlines. The cabin crew had to break up the altercation between the pilots in the cockpit, which began shortly after takeoff, Bloomberg reported. One of the pilots remained in the flight deck for the remainder of the trip.
“Totally inappropriate behavior”
An airline spokesman described the altercation as “grossly inappropriate behaviour”, while both pilots are reportedly under investigation. The dispute was quickly resolved and the flight continued as normal, the spokeswoman told Bloomberg. Details of the fight emerged days after the publication of a report by France’s civil aviation safety authority, the Bureau d’Enquetes et d’Analyses (BEA), which found that Air France crews sometimes ignored safety rules. In one incident in December 2020, the captain of an Airbus A330 failed to follow standard procedure when he neglected to shut down an engine after a severe fuel leak.
