“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 transmitted to AFP.
Air France specifies that that day, its flight AF662, connecting Paris CDG to Dubai, “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,” it said.
The press release recalls that Air France aircraft “already avoided Israeli, Lebanese and Iranian airspace” and that “flying over Iraqi airspace was limited to a specific corridor used by all airlines”.
A spokesperson for the company told AFP that “an internal investigation has been opened into this event”.
Ballistic missiles travel at a higher altitude than airliners fly. But according to LCIthe pilots of flight AF662 “saw the missiles from the cockpit”, information that Air France did not wish to comment on.
Asked by LCILaurent Veque, member of the office of the National Union of Airline Pilots, declared that “the facts are established and known, the plane found itself in this Iraqi corridor in the middle of the hostilities unleashed by Iran towards Israel”.
“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 said. added.
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.
