airline safety

Air France safety record

Air France hasn't had a fatal accident on its own flights since flight 447 in 2009 — more than fifteen years. On airlines like Air France, the chance of a passenger dying in an accident is about 1 in 80 million per flight.

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No one on board has died in an accident since 2009
Chance of dying in an accident, per flight1 in 80 million

For airlines based in France and the other countries in the same safety group, 2018–2022 (MIT study).

Put another way: if you took a flight every single day, you would, on average, fly for about 219,000 years before a fatal accident happened to you.

the record

No fatal accident on its own flights since 2009

In June 2009 Air France 447, an A330 from Rio de Janeiro to Paris, crashed into the Atlantic with 228 people on board. The French investigation found ice crystals briefly blocked the airspeed probes; the crew, working without reliable speeds, stalled the aircraft and did not recover. Airspeed probes were replaced and pilot training for that situation changed across the industry.

In 2000 an Air France Concorde crashed at Gonesse after take-off: a metal strip dropped by another aircraft burst a tyre, debris ruptured a fuel tank and fire brought it down, killing 109 people on board and 4 on the ground. In 1988 an A320 flew into trees during a low flypast at an air show at Habsheim.

Some fatal accidents came on flights flown for Air France by other airlines or its subsidiaries: Air Littoral as Air France 1919 at Bordeaux in 1987, TAME's leased Boeing 727 as Air France 422 near Bogotá in 1998, Brit Air at Brest in 2003 and Régional at Pau in 2007. Air Inter, whose A320 crashed at Mont Sainte-Odile in 1992, was by then controlled by Air France and later merged into it. All of these are shown apart on the line below, as are two hijackings, in 1976 and 1994.

since 1970

Every fatal accident, on one line

Solid dots are its own flights; hollow ones were flown by a partner or subsidiary under its name; grey rings are hijackings and attacks. Deaths that investigators don't class as accidents (such as trespassers) aren't shown.

197019801990200020102020
Its own flights Partner, subsidiary or predecessor airline flights Hijackings and attacks
  1. Jun 2009 AF447 · Airbus A330 · South AtlanticIce crystals briefly blocked the airspeed probes; the crew, working without reliable speeds, stalled the aircraft and did not recover (BEA).
  2. Jan 2007 AF7775 · Fokker 100 · PauFlown by the Air France subsidiary Régional, the aircraft failed to climb after take-off at Pau and struck a lorry; the lorry driver died.
  3. Jun 2003 AF5672 · Bombardier CRJ100 · BrestFlown by the Air France subsidiary Brit Air, the aircraft crashed on landing at Brest; the captain died.
  4. Jul 2000 AF4590 · Concorde · GonesseA metal strip dropped by another aircraft burst a tyre on take-off; debris ruptured a fuel tank and the fire brought the aircraft down (BEA).
  5. Apr 1998 AF422 · Boeing 727 · near BogotáA Boeing 727 leased with its crew from the Ecuadorian airline TAME and flying as Air France 422 hit a mountain after take-off (Colombian investigation).
  6. Sep 1996 AF437 · Boeing 747 · between Johannesburg and ParisA passenger died of injuries after the aircraft met severe turbulence.
  7. Dec 1994 AF8969 · Airbus A300 · Algiers and MarseilleHijacked at Algiers, where the hijackers killed three passengers; French special forces stormed the aircraft at Marseille.
  8. Jan 1992 Air Inter 148 · Airbus A320 · Mont Sainte-OdileAn Air Inter A320 flew into high ground on approach to Strasbourg. Air Inter was by then controlled by Air France, and later merged into it.
  9. Jun 1988 AF296Q · Airbus A320 · HabsheimFlew into trees during a low, slow flypast at an air show with passengers on board; the go-around was started too late.
  10. Dec 1987 AF1919 · Embraer EMB-120 · near BordeauxFlown by Air Littoral as Air France 1919, the aircraft crashed on approach to Bordeaux; all 16 on board died.
  11. Jun 1976 AF139 · Airbus A300 · EntebbeHijacked after leaving Athens and flown to Entebbe; four hostages died during and after the rescue operation.
  12. Jul 1974 · Fokker F27 · NantesStruck power lines on approach to Nantes; only crew were on board.
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at a glance

Air France in numbers

Founded
1933
Country
France
Alliance
SkyTeam
Main hubs
Paris Charles de Gaulle
IATA safety audit (IOSA)
Registered
the fleet

What Air France flies

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Air France safety questions

How safe is Air France?

Air France hasn't had a fatal accident on its own flights since flight 447 in 2009 — more than fifteen years. On airlines like Air France, the chance of a passenger dying in an accident is about 1 in 80 million per flight. Every fact on this page is sourced — the list is at the bottom.

What is Air France's safety rating?

FlyBud doesn't invent a score. What matters is the record, which you can check: Air France's last fatal accident on its own flights was flight 447 over the Atlantic in 2009. It is registered with IATA's operational safety audit (IOSA), which registered airlines must renew every two years.

Has Air France ever crashed?

Yes. Its last fatal accident was flight 447 over the Atlantic in 2009; it has had none since.

sources

Where these facts come from

Every fact on this page is from official accident reports, the airline's own filings or the published accident record.

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