Air France pilots fight, flight attendants intervene
Two Air France pilots have reportedly been suspended following an incident that occurred on a June 2022 flight from Geneva (GVA) to Paris (CDG). La Tribune obtained the report of the incident, which suggests that an argument between two pilots turned physical during the flight. As the plane climbed to cruising altitude, the pilots were reported to have had a verbal altercation that turned physical, with the pilots grabbing each other by the collars and one pilot hitting or slapping the other pilot. Apparently the argument got so loud that the flight attendants heard it in the cabin. At that point they called the cockpit and then entered it, and the decision was made to have a flight attendant remain in the cockpit for the remainder of the flight. An Air France spokesman confirmed the “wholly inappropriate behaviour” and that both pilots have been suspended pending the results of a full investigation.
This happens more often than you might expect
We tend to think (hope?) that airline pilots are responsible, calm and reasonable people who always have the best interests of the passengers in mind. However, there are hundreds of thousands of airline pilots out there, and as with any industry, there will be a few bad apples. Admittedly a screw in the cockpit has more serious consequences than chaos in most other industries. If you work in retail and make a mistake, chances are no one will die and you can find work elsewhere if you get fired. Meanwhile, if you’re a pilot and you make a mistake, you’ll likely get fired, lose decades of seniority, and even have your license revoked. However, being a pilot can be stressful and in some cases I can understand how there could be disagreement. Still, to get to the point where the argument is so loud it can be heard in the cabin and you see a physical altercation? Wow, this is really shocking. However, this is not the first time we have seen such a story. For example, just last month we saw a story of an Alaska Airlines flight that returned to the gate because two pilots couldn’t get along.
Conclusion
Two Air France pilots have been suspended following a fight in the cockpit after take-off. The pilots reportedly got into both a verbal and physical altercation, which flight attendants had to break up. A flight attendant then remained in the cockpit until landing. What do you think about this cockpit fight incident?
