According to AirNav Radar, Air France flight AF1358, flying from Paris Charles de Gaulle Airport (CDG) to Rabat-Sale Airport (RBA), performed an emergency turnaround procedure after the crew reported an emergency just after takeoff on April 7.
A short-lived flight
The Airbus A220-371 Air France aircraft had a short-lived flight, departing CDG at 20:45 (CEST), reaching an altitude of 34,000 feet and flying over central France. But less than 30 minutes into the flight, a Squawk 7700 was transmitted by the crew onboard, the general emergency international aviation code.
The aircraft made a U-turn, according to AirNav Radar, and the crew on board made a request prioritisation for returning to CDG, averting from the route to RBA. Landing safely in Paris at 21:45 (CEST), the aircraft remained in the air for only an hour beyond departure.
There have been no reports of injuries on this flight, however, emergency vehicles waited on standby as a precautionary measure. This is standard protocol in situations involving a general emergency transmitter code.
Disruption outcome
Since the incident, Air France has stated, confirming an official cancellation of the AF1358 flight:
“Air France confirms that the crew of flight AF1358 decided to return to Paris-Charles de Gaulle following a technical incident. The flight has been cancelled due to an unforeseen change to the flight schedule.”
Beyond this announcement, passengers were required to outsource other options for their travel plans. Some speculation around the “schedule changes” has followed this incident, with the emergency code pointing to other safety and technical concerns during the flight.
What do you think about Air France’s response to the incident? Let us know in the comments below.
