Air France pilots ready to return to the cockpit
Air France places flight safety at the heart of its corporate culture. With the gradual resumption of our operations, which should reach around 15% of our usual capacity by the end of June, we are eagerly getting ready to welcome our customers back on board, while strictly respecting the current health & safety measures. Of the 4,000 Air France pilots, 2,300 will be at the controls of the aircraft currently in service. To date, 75 out of the 224 aircraft that make up the Air France fleet are currently operating.
Air France pilots ready to return to the cockpit
For pilots who were unable to fly during the Covid-19 crisis, Air France has set up a major cockpit reintegration scheme to guarantee the highest level of safety on board its flights. The aim of this gradual return to the cockpit is to maintain the skills of our highly qualified pilots at the highest possible level.
Among other things, this involves training in one of Air France's 16 simulators for all pilots who have not flown recently, the provision of a training kit, specific training courses and personal support, supervised by one of the 470 instructors, throughout this transitional period. These simulator re-training sessions enable procedures to be reviewed in addition to the pilots' personal review work - skills maintenance, checklists, specific network regulations, etc.
For even greater safety levels, Air France is raising its standards by introducing an additional 2.5 to 3.5 hour simulator session, in addition to the four mandatory annual sessions. And the airline is going even further, increasing the number of landings and take-offs required over a 90-day period from three to five.
Jean Fernandez, EVP Flight Operations at Air France, stated: "In this exceptional context, where most of our aircraft are still grounded, we have maintained a permanent link with all our pilots. We know that our customers’ priority is flight safety, and for us this is absolutely essential. We are ready, and everything is being done to ensure we return to service in the best possible conditions and to guarantee everyone a safe trip. Our pilots are passionate about what they do, at our customers’ service."