PARIS – For the second time in a single day, a transatlantic flight bound for New York’s John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK) was forced to abort its crossing, turning back over Ireland due to technical concerns.
Air France flight AF12, operated by an Airbus A350-900 (registration F-HUVC), departed Paris Charles de Gaulle (CDG) at 20:28 CEST. The aircraft had reached a cruising altitude of 38,000 feet and was positioned off the west coast of Ireland (the final gateway before the long Atlantic crossing) when the crew made the decision to return to Paris.
Tactical Descent to “Heavy” Land
Following the turnaround, flight tracking data showed the aircraft descending to 20,000 feet. This maneuver was intentionally performed to increase fuel consumption.
Because long-haul aircraft take off with massive fuel loads for overseas journeys, they are often too heavy to land safely immediately after departure. By flying at a lower altitude where the air is denser, the engines burn fuel more rapidly, reducing the aircraft’s weight to within safe structural limits for landing.
A Strange Coincidence
The incident follows closely on the heels of KLM flight KL643, which also turned back toward Europe earlier today while en route to JFK.
Status of AF12
While Air France has not yet confirmed the specific nature of the technical issue, the “precautionary” return is standard protocol when a system fault is detected before committing to several hours over the open ocean, where landing options are non-existent.
The aircraft is expected to touch down at CDG shortly. Passengers will likely be rebooked on alternative flights or provided with overnight accommodations in Paris.
Update
Air France is confirming the flight has been canceled due to “an unforeseen change to the flight schedule.”
