Air France A350 Pilots Makes Emergency Landing at Military Base

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PARIS- An Air France (AF) flight from Paris Charles de Gaulle (CDG) to São Paulo–Guarulhos (GRU) diverted to a military airbase in the Azores (TER) after an in-flight electrical failure.

The Airbus A350-900, operating as flight AF460, issued a Mayday (emergency squawk) over the Canary Islands (TFS) and landed safely at Lajes Air Base, Terceira Island, Portugal, on August 8, 2025. All passengers disembarked without incident.

Photo: Clément Alloing

Air France Flight Emergency Landing at Azores

Air France Flight AF460 departed Paris Charles de Gaulle (CDG) at 10:37 a.m. CEST bound for São Paulo–Guarulhos (GRU) when the crew detected an unusual heating odor in the cabin.

Following standard safety protocols, the pilots declared an emergency and diverted to Lajes Air Base (TER), a facility equipped to handle large aircraft and regularly used for US and Portuguese military operations.

The aircraft, registration F-HTYC, touched down at 2:58 p.m. local time. Lajes was chosen over Santa Maria Airport (SMA) due to its better infrastructure for emergency handling and passenger support, Aeroin reported.

Avião da airfrance AF460 saindo de Paris com destino a São Paulo fez um pouso de emergęncia por conta de uma pane elétrica em numa base militar na Ilha de Açores em Portugal.@airfrance @airfrancebr @avioesemusicas @flightradar24 @CNNBrasil @cnnportugal @GloboNews pic.twitter.com/s0Pt8VuIDY

— Mp (@Mp52570830) August 8, 2025

Air France dispatched a Boeing 777-200ER (registration F-GSPZ) from Paris to collect passengers and continue the journey to São Paulo. The replacement aircraft carried a Portuguese-speaking crew to assist travelers during the extended trip.

As a result of the diversion, Air France cancelled flight AF459 from São Paulo (GRU) to Paris (CDG) scheduled for the same evening. Passengers from AF460 were rebooked, with departure from Terceira planned for 9:55 p.m. local time, and onward connections arranged to their final destinations.

Air France confirmed the incident, stating the diversion was a precautionary measure after detecting the unusual odor. The airline emphasized that the Airbus A350 landed normally and that passenger safety remained the top priority.

The disruption extended the journey by several hours, with passengers reaching Brazil early on August 9. The airline expressed regret for the inconvenience and thanked passengers for their understanding.

Photo: Aero Icarus | Flickr

Similar Incident

On February 1, 2025, a Delta Air Lines (DL) Airbus A321 bound for Orlando International Airport (MCO) diverted to Raleigh-Durham International Airport (RDU) after an unidentified odor was detected in the cabin.

The aircraft, registration N368DN, was operating flight DL2090 from New York John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK) to Orlando (MCO) with 158 passengers onboard. It landed safely in Raleigh (RDU), where Delta’s maintenance team investigated the issue before arranging onward travel for passengers.

Flight DL2090 departed JFK in the afternoon and was en route to Orlando when the crew reported an unusual odor in the cabin. As a safety precaution, the pilots diverted to RDU. Upon arrival, the aircraft was met by ground personnel who assessed the situation while passengers disembarked.

Travelers were either transferred to an alternative aircraft later that evening or rebooked on earlier departures. Flight tracking data indicated that the replacement aircraft departed Raleigh and arrived in Orlando shortly before 9 p.m., resulting in a delay of over six hours from the original schedule.

Possible Causes of Cabin Odors

Delta has not disclosed the specific cause of the odor on DL2090. In aviation, cabin odors can originate from various sources, including electrical faults, hydraulic fluid leaks, or environmental factors outside the aircraft. Airlines have also previously attributed such incidents to ventilation system malfunctions or chemical odors from passenger baggage.

While uncommon, odor-related diversions are handled with caution to ensure passenger and crew safety. Maintenance teams typically perform a thorough inspection before the aircraft is cleared for further flights.

Delta Air Lines confirmed the diversion in a statement, noting that the aircraft landed without incident and all passengers were accommodated. The airline also issued an apology to customers for the inconvenience caused by the delay.

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