Air France Flight Stopped in Republic of Congo After Gunshot

Air France Flight Stopped in Republic of Congo After Gunshot
An A330 Phenix of the French Air Force of operation 'Morphee' carrying patients infected with COVID-19 from Mulhouse lands at Bordeaux Airport in Merignac, southwestern France, on March 27, 2020. (Nicolas Tucat/AFP via Getty Images)
The Associated Press
4/12/2020
Updated:
4/12/2020

BRAZZAVILLE, Republic of Congo—Air France confirms that it had to postpone a flight from the Republic of Congo after the jet was damaged on Sunday by a bullet fired by a gendarme.

The incident happened at the airport in Pointe Noire, the country’s second largest city, said Air France in a statement. An Airbus A330 was damaged and was unable to make a flight repatriating French citizens because of the outbreak of COVID-19, the disease the CCP (Chinese Communist Party) virus causes.

The flight was postponed for 24 hours so that a replacement airplane can arrive to carry out the flight, said the airline.

The gendarme who fired a shot that pierced the sheet metal of the plane, was arrested and being held in custody, according to an airport official who insisted on anonymity because of lack of authorization to speak about the incident.