PARIS — An Air France transatlantic flight bound for the Caribbean was forced to abort its journey and declare an airborne emergency over the Atlantic Ocean today, Sunday, May 24, 2026.
Air France flight AF758, a regularly scheduled long-haul service from Paris Charles de Gaulle Airport (CDG) to Pointe-à-Pitre International Airport (PTP) in Guadeloupe, made an abrupt mid-flight turnaround roughly an hour and a half into its journey.
The aircraft, a Boeing 777-300ER registered as F-GZNL, had departed Paris on schedule at 15:49 CEST. Flight tracking data indicates the widebody jet was established at its cruising altitude of 32,000 feet over the Atlantic when the flight crew transmitted a transponder code 7700 indicating an emergency and initiated a sharp U-turn back toward the French mainland.
Rather than returning to the high-traffic hub at Paris CDG, air traffic routing confirmed that the aircraft was diverted to Nantes Atlantique Airport (NTE) in western France.
The airline has tentatively scheduled a brief, one-hour stopover at Nantes before aiming to resume the journey to the Caribbean. The exceptionally tight window for the unscheduled stop strongly indicates a medical emergency on board, requiring immediate access to ground-based emergency healthcare services for a passenger or crew member rather than a systemic mechanical issue with the aircraft.
Emergency medical services are expected to meet the Boeing 777 on the tarmac upon its arrival in Nantes. Air France has not yet released an official statement regarding the condition of those on board or the exact nature of the diversion.
