Air France repatriation plane hit by gunfire

Saturday evening, a repatriation plane fromAir France was damaged by gunfire at Pointe-Noire airport in
Congo. No injuries after
these shots, because the plane had neither crew nor passenger, the flight for France being planned this Sunday.

“The aircraft was stationary at its parking point during the incident, with no crew or passengers on board,” Air France said in a statement. A source familiar with the matter told AFP that the plane was hit by bullets, without being able to specify the circumstances.

The flight postponed for 24 hours

The aircraft “was placed under the surveillance of the Air Transport Gendarmerie and an Air France security provider”, according to the airline, which said it had filed a complaint for the damage caused to the plane. “An investigation has been opened by the local authorities,” added Air France.

The aircraft “was to make a repatriation flight between Pointe-Noire, Bangui and Paris-Charles de Gaulle on Sunday […]. The flight whose departure was initially scheduled at 10 a.m. [heure locale] is postponed for 24 hours to allow for a replacement device [Boeing 777-200] and a crew from Paris-Charles de Gaulle, “said the company.

“Customers have been warned and taken care of on site and will be kept informed. Air France regrets the inconvenience linked to this situation and recalls that the safety of its customers and its crews is its top priority ”.

A disagreement under the influence of alcohol

In Brazzaville, the Congolese Minister of Foreign Affairs Jean-Claude Gackosso transmitted “his deep regrets” to his French counterpart Jean-Yves Le Drian after this “serious incident”. The minister met with the French ambassador in Brazzaville.

“The minister wanted to apologize and regret the government’s regrets, which I gladly accepted,” said Ambassador François Barateau. “Apparently” the incident is “linked to an altercation and disagreement between a DGST agent [Direction générale de la surveillance du territoire] and his chief. The officer who fired was under the influence of alcohol. It was a Kalash shot in the air that hit the plane, “a source familiar with the matter said on condition of anonymity.

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