an Air France plane found itself between the two countries in the middle of a missile attack

INTERNATIONAL – It’s an incident “incomprehensible”, according to an Air France airline pilot interviewed by LCI. On October 1, a plane from the company linking Paris to Dubai crossed Iraqi airspace, between Iran and Israel, just as the former began its massive missile attack towards the latter. An internal investigation has been opened, a company spokesperson told AFP.

“For us, the security management within the company is entirely responsible. She asked planes to turn around, and not this one”assures Laurent Veque, member of the office of the National Union of Airline Pilots, Air France section. “The risk being known, it is impossible to take it”, he laments on LCI this Wednesday, October 9. “The light must be shed (…) The health, safety and working conditions commission (CSSCT) will certainly be contacted today, we want to know what happened”he added.

Ballistic missiles travel at a higher altitude than airliners fly. But according to LCI, the pilots of flight AF662 “saw the missiles from the cockpit”information that Air France did not wish to comment on. According to the news channel, Iraqi air traffic control would have even wished ” good luck “ to the crew of the plane when it began its flight over the country.

The flight left Iraqi airspace before it closed, according to Air France

“On October 1, information identified an upcoming attack on Israel by Iran with the dispatch of ballistic missiles. Consequently, and without waiting for instructions from the Iraqi authorities, Air France has decided to suspend flights over the country’s airspace by its planes from 5 p.m. universal time (i.e. 7 p.m. Paris time)”indicates a press release from the company sent to AFP.

Flight AF662, which left Paris-Charles de Gaulle airport, “was flying over southern Iraq when the Iranian attack began, around 4:45 p.m. universal time. He left the country’s airspace shortly before 5 p.m. Iraqi airspace was only officially closed by local authorities at 5:56 p.m. universal time.specifies Air France. The press release recalls that Air France aircraft “were already avoiding Israeli, Lebanese and Iranian airspace” and that “overflight of Iraqi airspace was limited to a specific corridor used by all airlines”.

Iran said it launched 200 missiles against Israel on October 1, after the death on September 27 of Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah, killed by an Israeli missile in the southern suburbs of Beirut, along with a general Iranian. According to Tehran, 90% reached their target, while the Israeli army assured that a large number had been intercepted.

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