Air France has announced that it is suspending flights over the Red Sea „until further notice,” an area stretching from East Africa to the Arabian Peninsula.
This decision comes following suspicions raised after „a crew spotted a bright object at high altitude in the Sudan area,” the company explained on X.
As a precautionary measure, Air France has decided to suspend flights over the Red Sea area until further notice. Consequently, the itinerary of some of its flights has been altered, according to Le Figaro.
Depending on their location, some aircraft were able to return to their departure airport, such as flight AF934 from Paris to Antananarivo.
According to the specialized website Air Plus News, two Air France flights, Paris-Madagascar and Paris-Kenya, returned to Paris during the day on Sunday. The Paris CDG-La Réunion flight was postponed until the next day, while the Mauritius-Paris CDG flight changed its route.
This decision was made after "a crew spotted a bright object at high altitude in the Sudan area," Air France stated.
What could this "bright object" be? An Internet user claims that "a rocket was fired" from Sudan towards an Air France plane. However, Air France denied this: "We do not confirm the information that a rocket was fired towards an Air France plane."
Air France reiterated that the safety of its customers and crews is its absolute imperative: "The company constantly monitors the evolution of the geopolitical situation in the territories served and overflown by its aircraft to ensure the highest level of flight safety."