History of the Flight
At approximately 21:30 UTC on 21 September 2025, a serious incident occurred at Nice Côte d’Azur Airport involving two Airbus A320 aircraft. The Nouvelair flight (TS-INP, call sign Nouvelair586) was arriving from Tunis-Carthage, while the easyJet Europe flight (OE-IJZ, call sign Alpine109E) was departing for Nantes.
The Nouvelair crew had planned an RNP A approach to runway 04L. Initially, they requested and received various heading changes to avoid cloud masses displayed on their weather radar. After being cleared to descend to 3,000 ft to BISBO, they opted for the RNP A 04L approach. At 21:25, the controller cleared them to start the approach, and at 21:30, cleared them to land on runway 04L. The crew read back the landing clearance correctly.
Meanwhile, the easyJet crew had been cleared to taxi and hold short of runway 04L at holding point A1, then later to cross runway 04L and follow W to W3. The controller cleared them to line up on runway 04R and hold, but the crew initially declined because the cabin was not ready. After readiness, at 21:30:58, the controller asked them to line up on runway 04R and hold; they complied and began turning onto the runway.
As the Nouvelair aircraft descended, the PF disengaged the autopilot and turned right from heading 360° to 040°, reporting the runway in sight. At 21:31:36, the aircraft aligned with the axis of runway 04R at 527 ft, about 1.8 NM from the threshold. At 21:31:41, the A-SMGCS system in the control tower generated an amber alert for a runway incursion when OE-IJZ entered runway 04R. This escalated to a red visual and aural warning at 21:31:57. The controller then contacted the Nouvelair crew to confirm runway 04L; the crew responded they were on short final for 04L, and the controller again cleared them to land on 04L.
At 21:32:23, the Nouvelair aircraft flew over the easyJet aircraft, which was stopped and aligned on the runway 04R centerline. The radio altimeter of the Nouvelair aircraft dropped from 39 ft to 10 ft in one second, then rose to 24 ft, indicating the flyover. The controller then instructed the Nouvelair crew to perform a go-around, which they executed. Recorded data shows the main landing gear did not touch the runway.
After the go-around, the easyJet crew requested clearance to return to the apron, and the Nouvelair aircraft was vectored for another approach (RNP Z 04L). The Nouvelair aircraft landed safely on runway 04L at 21:48.
Meteorological Conditions
The weather was unsettled, with a light easterly wind shifting to light northerly (less than 10 kt). Visibility was greater than 10 km until around 21:30, then decreased to 2,800 m. Moderate showers appeared between 21:30 and 21:40. There was slight turbulence from cumuliform clouds, and no lightning strikes along the flight path. The crew of TS-INP had adjusted their heading to avoid cloud masses displayed on the weather radar.
Aircraft and Crew Information
The Nouvelair aircraft was an Airbus A320-214 (serial number 1597, registered TS-INP, entered service in November 2001) with two CFM56-5B4/P engines. The crew consisted of a captain (male, 55, with 15,180 total flight hours) and a co-pilot (male, 50, with 4,250 total flight hours). The easyJet aircraft was an Airbus A320-214 (serial number 6502, registered OE-IJZ, entered service in March 2015) with two CFM56-5B4/P engines. The crew consisted of a captain (male, 53, with 16,000 total flight hours) and a co-pilot (male, with no total flight hours specified in the report).