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Air Algérie flight mistakenly approaches old air base in Toulouse
An Air Algérie flight operating between Oran and Toulouse caused surprise earlier this week when it mistakenly began its approach to an old air base instead of the city’s main international airport.
On Tuesday, August 12, flight AH1076, a Boeing 737-800 departing from Oran-Es Sénia at 9:30 a.m. local time, was expected to land at Toulouse-Blagnac Airport around 12:04 p.m. However, during final approach, the aircraft headed toward Toulouse-Francazal — a former military base converted into a small civil airfield, which is not authorized for international commercial flights.
According to local reports, Francazal’s control tower was unstaffed at the time. Realizing the mistake, the captain aborted the landing and redirected to Blagnac, arriving only six minutes behind schedule.
Aviation experts point to several possible explanations for this unusual error in an era of highly precise navigation systems: confusion between airport codes, unfamiliarity with the route, or a misinterpretation of visual cues during approach. The codes for the two airports — LFBF for Francazal and LFBO for Blagnac — are similar, which could have contributed to the mix-up.
Authorities and Air Algérie have so far remained silent about the incident, which, while not endangering passengers, raises questions about flight safety procedures. Whether an official investigation will be launched remains to be seen.