PARIS- Air France (AF) returned to Buenos Aires Ezeiza International Airport (EZE) after passengers and crew reported smoke and a strong odor shortly after departure. The flight bound for Paris Charles de Gaulle (CDG) turned back about 35 minutes into the journey as a safety precaution.
The Airbus A350 had departed Buenos Aires for an overnight service to Paris CDG when the crew declared a Pan Pan and requested an immediate return. Passengers later described a strange smell before light smoke appeared in the cabin.
Air France A350 Grounded
Crew members acted quickly as the aircraft was still climbing through roughly 17,000 feet. The captain initiated the Pan Pan call, signaling an urgent but non-life-threatening situation.
The aircraft landed safely on Runway 11 and taxied to the apron, where emergency teams were waiting.
Air France said the crew detected a heat smell in both the cockpit and cabin and opted to return to EZE for inspection. Ground teams supported passengers and arranged alternative flights. The airline stressed that customer and crew safety remains its highest priority.
Flight Timeline and Passenger Accounts
AF411 was scheduled to depart Buenos Aires at 22:40 but took off at 23:16. Minutes later, passengers sensed an unusual odor that some described as coming from the lighting units, though this detail has not been independently confirmed.
The crew canceled the flight after returning, and maintenance teams began a full technical assessment of the aircraft.
The Airbus A350 remained parked at EZE during inspections. Air France operates a double daily Buenos Aires to Paris service using both the Boeing 787-9 on AF471 and the A350-900 on AF411. The incident followed a similar odor-related diversion earlier in the month on another Air France A350 traveling between Paris and Seoul.
The aircraft involved was an Airbus A350-900 registered F-HTYT. It has been in Air France service for just over three years and is powered by Rolls-Royce Trent XWB 84 engines. It seats 324 passengers across three cabins and joined the fleet in late 2022 after test flights under Airbus registration F-WWDW.
Air France operates 39 A350s and has orders for 49 more A350 900s and three A350-1000s. The type is gradually replacing older A330-200, 777-200ER, and selected 777-300ER aircraft.
The wider Air France KLM group runs a mix of subsidiaries and minority stakes in airlines across Europe, Africa, and the Indian Ocean region.
Recent Pattern of Odor-Related Incidents
A separate Paris to Seoul flight operated by another A350 diverted to Munich earlier this month after crew members noticed fumes and a burning smell in the cockpit.
That aircraft remained on the ground for maintenance checks while a replacement 777 300ER continued the service to Incheon (ICN).
Industry reports show a rising trend in cockpit and cabin odor events, prompting closer attention from airlines and regulators.
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