Air France has suspended two pilots following a fight in the cockpit on a flight from Geneva to Paris two months ago.
According to an airline official, the pilot and co-pilot, who remain unnamed, had a disagreement shortly after takeoff and grabbed each other by the collars after one of them threw a punch.
“The incident was quickly resolved without affecting the conduct or safety of the flight, which continued normally,” an airline spokesperson said in a statement.
“The pilots concerned are currently suspended from flying and are awaiting a managerial decision on the outcome/treatment of the incident. Air France reminds us that the safety of its customers and crew members is its absolute priority,” the statement added.
The cabin crew intervened, and one crew member spent the flight in the cockpit with the pilots, the report said.
It was unclear what led to the fight. Although the incident occurred two months ago, it became public due to a story last week in the French newspaper La Tribune, which alleges significantly larger structural issues with Air France.
France’s air investigation agency, the Bureau of Enquiry and Analysis for Civil Aviation Safety, issued a report on Wednesday saying that some Air France pilots lacked rigour in respecting procedures during safety incidents.
The plane landed safely in Chad, but the BEA report warned that the engine could have caught fire.