Near-miss at Nice airport prompts emergency probe

A near-miss at Nice-Côte d’Azur Airport on Sunday night prompted an emergency probe after an EasyJet flight and a Nouvelair jet narrowly avoided collision as one prepared to take off while the other was landing. The incident occurred around 11:30 p.m. local time in heavy rain, with both aircraft on adjacent runways.

French authorities said the Tunisian Nouvelair jet mistakenly tried to land on the same runway used by the EasyJet flight from Nice to Nantes, a decision later described by passengers and airport officials as a serious error. The Times reported the two planes passed within about three meters of each other. The pilots of the Nouvelair jet have come under scrutiny from airport management, which blamed the Tunisian crew for the near miss.

Both aircraft were grounded as investigators reviewed flight recordings, and officials pledged a full inquiry. EasyJet and Nouvelair were contacted for comment.

Each airliner was carrying roughly 300 passengers at the time. The EasyJet flight 4706 to Nantes was moments from departure when the near-miss occurred, and the crew decided not to continue the takeoff, leaving passengers stranded on the ground.

Passengers described the moment as unsettling. Érard, 29, a passenger on the EasyJet flight, told local newspaper Le Figaro that the captain was in a “visible state of shock” when he left the cockpit. He said the captain informed passengers that a crash had been avoided by about three metres and blamed the other aircraft for the danger, adding that the plane was about to take off when the engines roared in near-identical proximity to the other jet.

The incident drew immediate reaction from French authorities. Transport Minister Philippe Tabarot called the near collision potentially catastrophic and ordered an immediate investigation by the BEA, the country’s air-accident investigation agency. The BEA labeled the event a “serious incident” and said authorities would examine data from the flight recorders of both airplanes. An official familiar with the inquiry told French media that the Nouvelair aircraft had indeed approached the wrong runway.

Investigators will review air-traffic control data, radar recordings, and cockpit voice recorders to determine how the mis-timing occurred and whether procedures or communications contributed to the near-miss. The BEA warned against drawing premature conclusions, stressing that the investigation will determine the sequence of events and any contributing factors.

The two airlines have been contacted for comment as the probe continues. The incident stands as one of the closest near-misses between two passenger jets in Europe in recent years, underscoring ongoing safety and procedural challenges at busy international airports, particularly in adverse weather conditions. In the interim, authorities reiterated calls for heightened vigilance and rigorous adherence to runway assignment protocols to prevent recurrence.