A fight in the cockpit between the pilot and co-pilot on an international flight over Europe, involving slaps and/or punches, was overheard by a shocked cabin crew, who decided to intervene.
According to reports from Bloomberg news service, two Air France pilots were suspended after the incident between Geneva and Paris.
The mid-air dispute occurred in June and was revealed recently by the French weekly financial newspaper La Tribune. An Air France spokeswoman confirmed the report, Bloomberg said.
La Tribune said the dispute turned physical shortly after takeoff as the plane gained altitude. The men reportedly took each other by the collars after one possibly hit or slapped the other (an altercation that some Australians might call shirtfronting). According to the newspaper report, cabin personnel heard noise in the cockpit and intervened.
France’s air safety bureau was not notified of the incident because it did not affect the flight.
Written by Peter Needham
