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 bound for Nantes narrowly avoided a collision with a Tunisian Nouvelair jet.
The flight had to increase power to prevent the collision as the Tunisian aircraft was approaching the wrong runway, leading the Bureau of Investigation and Analysis (BEA) to classify the event as a ‘serious incident.’
During a Nice City Council meeting on October 1, Mayor Christian Estrosi unexpectedly proposed to the French government to substitute air traffic controllers with military personnel. This proposal was made amidst discussions about enhancing the experience for users of Nice airport, with Mr. Estrosi expressing frustration with the current system and its oversight by the Directorate General of Civil Aviation.
The mayor highlighted the economic and social repercussions of the alleged misconduct of air traffic controllers in Nice and Aix-en-Provence. EasyJet assured cooperation with the safety investigation to determine the cause of the incident, which involved over 300 passengers and crew members between the two aircraft.
The mayor’s suggestion will be subject to a vote in the upcoming city council meeting. While air traffic control in France is typically managed by civil servants who have graduated from the French National Civil Aviation School (ENAC), the mayor’s proposal aims to address concerns specifically at Nice Airport, where military controllers are not currently in place.
As per the Directorate General of Civil Aviation, there are currently 72 active air traffic controllers in Nice.