New alert. An Air France Boeing 787-900 aircraft which was operating a Paris-Seattle flight was diverted to a Canadian airport on Tuesday following “the appearance of a hot smell felt in the cabin”, AFP learned this Wednesday with the airline.
“Air France confirms that the crew of flight AF338 on May 7, 2024, connecting Paris (CDG) to Seattle (SEA) in a Boeing 787-900, decided to divert to Iqaluit airport (YFB), Canada, continued to the appearance of a hot smell felt in the cabin,” she said in a statement sent to AFP.
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“This decision was taken in accordance with the manufacturer’s procedures, the company’s instructions and in application of the precautionary principle. The plane landed normally in Iqaluit (north-eastern Canada, Editor’s note) at 10:44 a.m. local time on Tuesday, she specifies. Passengers on the diverted flight were transported to New York-JFK airport before being re-routed to Seattle “as quickly as possible” via another Air France Boeing.
No anomaly at the moment
“The first checks by the Air France mechanic seconded to the site have not yet revealed any anomalies. These checks continue,” said an Air France spokesperson.
Boeing is going through a difficult time after several incidents. Three of the four commercial aircraft models currently manufactured by the American group are officially the subject of an investigation by the American Civil Aviation Regulatory Agency (FAA), including the 787 “Dreamliner”.
“Air France scrupulously follows the requests and recommendations of French and international authorities. No reservations have been expressed regarding the fleets of Boeing 787 and 777 operated by our company,” recalled Air France.
