As Air France restores some flights, pilots queue for simulator

By Laurence Frost and Noemie Olive

PARIS (Reuters) – Air France is putting its grounded pilots through their paces in the flight simulator as the airline prepares to restore flights to dozens of destinations that had been suspended under coronavirus lockdown measures.

The French carrier, part of Air France-KLM, plans to increase capacity to about 10% of normal levels by mid-June from 3-5% today, Jean Fernandez, executive vice-president for flight operations, said on Friday.

European safety rules require extra training for any pilot who has not carried out at least three take-offs and landings in the last three months, although Air France sets the bar higher at five take-offs and landings.

“Pilots need to fly regularly to maintain their skills at the highest level,” Fernandez said during a visit to a simulator session at an Air France training centre near Charles de Gaulle airport.

Behind him, Captain Emmanuel Mistrali, a 25-year veteran with the airline, and his co-pilot were running through challenging scenarios from engine failures to high winds in the Airbus A350 simulator, closely watched by a flight instructor.

Mistrali, out of action since his last flight to Sao Paolo three weeks ago, said the simulator sessions offer a welcome chance to “regain contact with a world we’ve been missing”.

By sharing out the few services still running, Air France’s 4,000 pilots can each fly at least one trip in May-June.

Before returning to the air, they also run through software-based training to test their recollection of key procedures – but Mistrali said there was no substitute for cockpit time.

“What is missing when you’re on the ground is the routines, the reflexes, your sixth sense and the crew teamwork,” he said.

By mid-June Air France aims to restore about 600 flights per week to 110 destinations, travel restrictions permitting – still far short of its usual weekly tally of more than 7,000 services to 196 destinations. It is currently operating 200-300 weekly flights on 43 routes.

Between now and then, the airline’s 17 simulators will be busy but not over-stretched, Fernandez said. “They are always in high demand.”

Over the coming month Air France capacity should return to “something like 10%” of normal levels, he added. “One thing we can be sure of is that the recovery will be slow.”

(Reporting by Laurence Frost and Noemie Olive; Editing by Raissa Kasolowsky)