Air France A350 accidentally enters military zone at Abidjan Airport

Dhaka: An Air France Airbus A350-900, operating as Flight AF702 from Paris-Charles de Gaulle, inadvertently taxied into a restricted military area due to a navigation error at Félix Houphouët-Boigny International Airport in Abidjan on Tuesday, February 3.

Media reports said the flight touched down smoothly on Runway 03 at 19:27 local time. While taxiing toward the terminal, the crew mistakenly turned onto a ramp leading directly to the Abidjan Military Air Base, incapable of handling a wide-body aircraft like the A350.

With 283 passengers and 12 crew members on board, the A350 became immobilized on the narrow military taxiway. Ground crews had to deploy specialized towing equipment to move the jet to the civilian stand, causing several hours of delay before passengers could disembark safely.

The incident led to the cancellation of the return flight to Paris, AF703, which was scheduled later that night. Air France dispatched a technical team from Paris to inspect the landing gear and tires for any potential damage caused by taxiing on the non-standard surface.

Ivorian aviation authorities opened an investigation to examine communication between the cockpit and the control tower and to determine the factors that led the high-capacity aircraft into a high-security military zone. No injuries were reported during the incident.

The airline and airport officials confirmed that all necessary safety protocols were followed and emphasized that passengers were safely evacuated from the aircraft without any health or security issues.

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