PARIS— An Air France (AF) Boeing 777-300ER aborted its takeoff from Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) on April 8 after an unauthorized Gulfstream jet crossed onto the active runway. The incident is now under investigation by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA).
Air France flight 25, operating from Los Angeles (LAX) to Paris Charles de Gaulle Airport (CDG), was cleared for takeoff on runway 24L when a Gulfstream G650ER entered the runway without clearance. Pilots reacted swiftly, decelerating the aircraft safely before successfully departing for Paris shortly after.
Air France Aborts Takeoff at LAX
The Gulfstream G650ER had just arrived at LAX from San Francisco International Airport (SFO) when the incident occurred.
Air traffic controllers had instructed the Gulfstream pilot to hold short of runway 24L, an instruction the pilot acknowledged but did not follow. The aircraft crossed the hold short line and entered the path of the departing Air France 777.
Pilots aboard the Air France flight were alerted to the incursion through runway warning lights. They immediately rejected the takeoff and brought the aircraft to a safe stop.
Once the runway was cleared, flight AF25 lined up again and departed without further incident, arriving in Paris approximately nine hours and 57 minutes later at 1:42 pm local time, NBC News reported.
Air France Flight 25 Resumes Departure
The Air France flight had pushed back from the gate at 6:45 pm, roughly 20 minutes behind its scheduled 6:25 pm departure. The aircraft taxied to runway 24L and was cleared for takeoff before the incursion occurred, Simple Flying flagged.
Following the rejected takeoff, the crew held position until the runway was confirmed clear, then successfully departed. No passengers were injured during the incident.
The aircraft involved, registered as F-GZNP, is an 11-year-old Boeing 777-328ER delivered to Air France in April 2015 and leased from Japanese firm JP Lease Products and Services.
It is configured to carry 312 passengers across four cabins: four first class, 60 business, 44 premium economy, and 204 economy seats. The aircraft is powered by two General Electric GE90-115B engines.
A Busy Night For Runway Incidents At LAX
The Air France and Gulfstream near-miss was not the only runway incident at LAX that evening.
Approximately one hour later, a Frontier Airlines (F9) Airbus A321 was forced to abort its own takeoff after two service trucks entered its path on the runway. That incident has also been referred to the FAA and remains under active investigation.
The back-to-back incidents at one of America’s busiest airports have raised fresh concerns about runway safety at LAX.
The Air France event also follows a fatal collision at New York LaGuardia Airport (LGA) weeks prior, where an Air Canada Express aircraft struck an airport fire truck during landing, highlighting a troubling pattern of airside safety incidents across major U.S. airports.
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