Air France suspends flights over the Red Sea area as a precaution, which we know

INTERNATIONAL – Concerns over the Red Sea. The airline Air France announced this Sunday, November 3, that it was suspending as a precaution and “until further notice” the flight over the Red Sea area. Here's what we know.

• And « luminous object » worrying

The French company said in a statement that a crew had reported a “luminous object at high altitude” over the Sudan area. “As a precautionary principle, the company has decided to suspend flights over the Red Sea area until further notice”she added.

While several Internet users on “missile fired from Sudan and towards an Air France plane” by relaying an article from the Malagasy daily Midi Madagascarthe company has clarified that it does not “do not confirm this information”.

Air France reminds that the safety of its customers and crews “is its absolute imperative” and that it constantly monitors the evolution of the geopolitical situation of the territories served and flown by its aircraft “in order to ensure the highest level of flight safety and security”.

Air France is the only company to have taken this precautionary measure, a source in the aviation sector told AFP, specifying that the airspace above the region had not been closed.

• Hijacked flights

The airline said the itinerary of some of its flights had been changed. Some aircraft even had to turn around and return to land at their departure airport. This is the case for flights AF934 Paris-Antananarivo and AF814 Paris-Nairobi, which returned to Paris and will make a new departure as soon as possible.

Flights AF473 Mauritius-Paris, AF648 Paris-Reunion and AF470 Paris-Mauritius, for their part, operated normally by adapting their itinerary, extending their flight time, specifies the French airline.

• A tense context in the Red Sea

The Red Sea region has experienced strong instability since November 2023. The Houthis, who control large swaths of Yemen, have since carried out missile and drone attacks against ships they consider linked to Israel, saying they are acting in solidarity with the Palestinians of the Gaza Strip, in the grip of a deadly war between Hamas and the Israeli army since October 7, 2023.

The attacks in the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden have seriously disrupted maritime traffic in this essential area for world trade.

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