2 Air France Pilots Suspended Over Mid-Air Cockpit Brawl
NDTV
A dispute between the pilot and co-pilot turned physical shortly after takeoff as the plane gained altitude, with the men taking each other by the collars after one possibly hit or slapped the other.
Two Air France pilots were suspended after coming to blows in the cockpit of an Airbus jetliner during a flight between Geneva and Paris, the latest safety issue to plague the airline.
The mid-air dispute occurred in June, according to a spokeswoman for the carrier Saturday, who confirmed a report by La Tribune newspaper.
The incident was resolved quickly, and the flight proceeded normally, she said, adding that the pilots are awaiting a decision by management on their "totally inappropriate behaviour."
The revelation of the physical altercation comes on the heels of a report published Tuesday by France's civil aviation safety investigation authority, the Bureau d'Enquetes et d'Analyses, concluding that a series of lapses at the French arm of Air France-KLM pointed to "changes and even violations" of procedures leading to a narrowing of safety margins. The carrier responded with a pledge to carry out a safety audit and beef up post-flight analyses.
