After a violent fight broke out on an eight-hour trip from Paris Orly airport in France to French Guiana in South America, one flight attendant was hurt and three people were arrested.
Videos of the prolonged altercation have already gone viral on social media, however, it’s unclear what sparked the fight.
Prosecutors said the men may face up to three years in prison if found guilty of endangering the flight’s safety.
On Friday, 11 January, a scuffle erupted on Air Caribes flight TX570, which was operated by an Airbus A350-1000. Air Caribes uses a high-density version of the A350 that can accommodate up to 429 passengers.
vol @aircaraibes Paris Cayenne pic.twitter.com/O84mjm76Mb
— VD (@nenuphar_42) February 12, 2022
A spokesman for the airline confirmed that a flight attendant was hurt while attempting to separate the fighting passengers.
“Some customers helped our crew to contain this situation, the consequences of which could have been serious without the coolness of our crew, who knew how to perfectly control the situation,” commented Eric Michel, deputy general manager of Air Caraïbes.
“You have to allow time for the investigation. In any case, it is unacceptable. These are extremely rare incidents. We reserve the right to file a complaint.”
Several flight attendants and passengers attempted to calm a passenger who was pressed up against the aircraft’s main exit in one video.
Bjr #aircaraibes un communiqué et des mesures d’interdiction de vol à vie devrait être prononcée pour eux, je suis scandalisé de voir ces images. En période de vacance, les enfants à bord 😱,quel image donner sur un vol #Paris #cayenne @aircaraibes @airjournal @airplusnews @DGAC pic.twitter.com/pFy4kJbR4B
— Claude (@KINGCLODE) February 12, 2022
A public prosecutor, Samuel Finielz, called the event “severe” and said the arrestees’ behavior was “inappropriate and intolerable.”
PAF border police arrested all three individuals, who are still in jail.
Groupe Dubreuil owns the majority of Air Caribes, a French airline based in the French West Indies.
French Bee, which conducts low-cost flights from France to French Polynesia and the United States, is also owned by the firm.
