Aviation News – A serious near-miss incident at Nice Airport has raised safety concerns after investigators revealed a Nouvelair aircraft overflew an EasyJet jet on the runway before aborting its landing.
The event occurred last month when a Nouvelair flight arriving from Tunis nearly landed on top of an EasyJet aircraft preparing to depart for Nantes. According to a preliminary report released Wednesday by France’s BEA accident investigation agency, the Nouvelair pilots appeared unaware of the close call and initiated a go-around only after air traffic control instructed them to do so.
The incident involved EasyJet flight U2-4706 (Nice–Nantes) and Nouvelair flight BJ-586 (Tunis–Nice). The BEA’s findings indicate that the inbound aircraft’s crew continued their landing approach despite the runway being occupied, a breach of standard separation procedures. Investigators are now examining communication protocols, cockpit awareness, and air traffic control coordination during the event.
Technically, a “go-around” is an emergency maneuver allowing a pilot to abort a landing and climb away from the runway. In this case, the go-around came moments too late — only after the Nouvelair jet passed directly above the EasyJet aircraft, highlighting how seconds can separate routine operations from catastrophe.
A BEA spokesperson emphasized the seriousness of the occurrence, stating, “This incident underscores the importance of situational awareness and clear communication between pilots and air traffic controllers to ensure safety in busy airspace.”
The BEA will continue its investigation, focusing on cockpit recordings and radar data to determine the exact sequence of events. The findings could lead to updated training procedures and communication standards for airline crews operating in congested airports such as Nice.
Aviation experts say this close call serves as a stark reminder of the critical importance of vigilance and compliance with landing protocols. As Nice Airport’s traffic continues to grow, authorities are expected to tighten oversight to prevent similar incidents in the future.
