By Air France flight AF6226, en route to Nice, declared an emergency and returned to Paris Orly Airport today. Details surrounding the incident are still emerging, but here’s what we know so far.
Flight AF6226, a routine scheduled service between Paris Orly and Nice, encountered an issue shortly after takeoff. The aircraft involved, registered as F-GRHF, is a 25.1-year-old Airbus A319, delivered to Air France in June 1999. According to Planespotters.net, Air France operates 11 Airbus A319-100s, with an average fleet age of 22.7 years, and all but one are currently in active service.
AF6226 departed Paris Orly at 19:07 local time, initially heading south toward Nice. However, over the Nevers area, the aircraft made a U-turn and issued an emergency 7700 broadcast. Shortly thereafter, the aircraft performed a priority landing back at Orly without further incident.
At this time, the specific cause of the emergency remains unclear. Whatever the issue, it was significant enough to necessitate a return to Orly and the declaration of a mayday. Further updates will follow as more information becomes available.
