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Air France Airbus returns after cabin depressurization incident

Air France Airbus returns after cabin depressurization incident
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Airbus A380 | Airbus

An Air France Airbus A318 aircraft was compelled to return to Paris Charles de Gaulle International Airport after experiencing cabin depressurization on January 3, 2025. The plane, identified as F-GUGR, was operating flight AF1448 from Paris to Barcelona when the crew decided to turn back shortly after takeoff.

The incident occurred 17 minutes into the flight, prompting the crew to initiate an emergency landing. Video footage later surfaced on social media showing oxygen masks being deployed in the cabin. A spokesperson for Air France confirmed the situation and stated that "the crew of flight AF1448...decided to return to its base after 17 minutes of flight due to cabin pressure malfunction."

Air France emphasized that their crews are trained regularly for such scenarios in line with manufacturer guidelines. The airline noted that "the automatic mask drop altitude had not yet been reached," so the crew manually activated the oxygen masks.

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Upon returning, the aircraft landed without further issues at Paris-Charles de Gaulle at 22:12 local time for technical inspections. Consequently, both flights AF1448 and its return leg AF1449 were canceled.

The Airbus A318 involved is an 18-year-old model capable of seating up to 131 passengers in a single-class layout. As per ch-aviation fleet data, it had accumulated over 35,000 flight hours by September 2024.

Air France's A318s operate various short-haul European routes from bases in Paris and Nice. With only seven A318s remaining in their fleet and two undergoing maintenance, Air France has yet to announce a retirement date for these aircraft. However, as they expand their Airbus A220 fleet, the future of their A318 operations appears limited.

The Airbus A318 is part of the larger A320 family but has seen declining use among airlines due to its smaller capacity and range compared to newer models like the Airbus A220-300.

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