The facts took place in mid-June, on an Air France flight which linked Geneva to Paris. According to information from Le Point, the pilot and the co-pilot came to blows in the cockpit. The crew was forced to intervene to separate them.
The dispute between the two men began shortly after takeoff, when one of them accidentally hit the other. The hit pilot in question said he was slapped. The two men then grabbed each other by the collar and after a few punches, a wooden object was thrown in the face of one of the pilots.
It was on hearing the noise in the cockpit that the cabin crew intervened. A member of the crew remained in the cockpit for the rest of the flight to ensure that the two pilots would not fight again. The plane was able to land safely in Paris.
The cause of the first “slap” is still unclear. The co-pilot would have ignored an instruction from the pilot, which would have annoyed the latter. Both pilots have been suspended and are awaiting a decision from management on whether or not they will be allowed to fly again.