A French mayor is advocating for the replacement of air traffic controllers with military personnel following a close-call incident involving an EasyJet flight at Nice airport. The incident occurred on September 21 when EasyJet flight 4706 to Nantes narrowly avoided a collision with a Tunisian Nouvelair jet by applying power to maneuver away.
Preliminary findings from the Bureau of Investigation and Analysis (BEA) reveal that the Tunisian aircraft was approaching the wrong runway for landing, leading the BEA to classify the event as a ‘serious incident’.
During a recent Nice City Council meeting, Mayor Christian Estrosi unexpectedly proposed the substitution of air traffic controllers with military staff, bypassing the meeting’s original agenda which focused on enhancing services for airport users. Mayor Estrosi expressed frustration with the current system, stating, “We’ve had enough of air traffic controllers and the DGAC, which is incapable of keeping them in check.”
The mayor emphasized the economic and social impacts of the air traffic control issues in both Nice and Aix-en-Provence, stressing the need for change. EasyJet assured full cooperation with the safety investigation to determine the cause of the incident, which could have endangered over 300 passengers and crew members on the two planes.
The mayor’s proposal is set for a vote at the upcoming city council meeting. Notably, air traffic control in France is primarily managed by civil servants who must typically graduate from the French National Civil Aviation School (ENAC). While some airspace is overseen by military controllers, this is not currently the case at Nice Airport.
The Directorate General of Civil Aviation reports that there are currently 72 active air traffic controllers in Nice, highlighting the significance of the proposed shift in operational responsibilities.
