Nice-Riviera Airport: Is it safe?

Written by Riviera Reporter

Aviation in Nice has a long history. It all started in 1901 when Captain Ferber took to the air in his tethered flying machine. Within a few years the city was a recognised centre of leisure flying. The first scheduled commercial services began in 1936 when Potez Aero-Service opened routes to Toulouse, Bordeaux and Ajaccio. In 1944 the allied forces put down a runway for military use which became the focus of a new civilian airport. In 1947, Air France at first the only carrier dealt with 34,267 passengers; Swissair and BEA (later part of British Airways) followed in 1949. From the 1960s onward Nice has registered almost uninterrupted growth: in 1987, the year this magazine started to report on its activity, it had 4.3 million passengers; last year there was a record total of 10 million.

Amid the familiar ritual of self-congratulation there was one false note: yet again the question was raised as to whether Nice-C�te d�Azur (its official title) is dangerous. At issue here, especially, is the westerly approach route involving a zigzag pattern to avoid noise pollution over Cap d�Antibes. According to one French captain, �We�re talking about one of the most difficult landings anywhere � to get down in Nice you need to be an extremely competent pilot.� We put this to one of his British colleagues with extensive experience as both a short-haul and long-haul flier. �Well, I�m pretty sure this chap is a union representative. In France, that�s their style. What he says is a bit daft really � you have to be competent to land anywhere. But it could be said, I suppose, that the westerly approach is slightly trickier than you may find at some other airports but then as a pilot you know this and take account of any special difficulties. I used to fly regularly into Kai-Tak, the old Hong Kong airport � you�ve done it as a passenger, I know � with that descent between high rise buildings. That needed extra care, of course � just like when you drive a car through a rather narrow gateway. Personally, I�ve no time for the sort of alarmist talk you�ve quoted. Think about it � when was there last an accident at Nice-Riviera?�

From Riviera Reporter Issue 126: April/May 2008

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written by John Fordyce , 01 July 2008

Your very interesting article indicated that the westerly approach to Nice was the more tricky. I wonder? One afternoon at around 14h45 a British Airways Boeing 757 found the approach from the east more difficult. On its final left-hand turn to line up with the runway I saw that its flaps were fully extended unlike an Air France Airbus that preceded it, and it appeared to be too high. Apparently almost in a stall, suddenly the tail tipped, the nose rose to a 45 degree angle before rectifying itself, up came the flaps and undercarriage and the plane went around for a second approach. I saw this from a bus on the Promenade des Anglais and later in the terminal I heard a woman say to another: ?"That's the first time that's ever happened to me."

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written by Mike Meade , 01 July 2008

The eastern approach into Nice isn't considered risky by pilots and there are all sorts of reasons other than a difficult approach for an airliner to opt for a go-around. It can be as innocuous as a faulty landing gear warning light. British Airways has a superb safety record and the recent 777 incident at Heathrow is testimony to just how good crew competence is.
We are aware that a Russian airliner came close to Mont Boron on its easterly approach into Nice at night and in poor visibility a couple of years back. That being said, there has only ever been one fatal accident at Nice and that was an Air France Caravelle inbound from Ajaccio almost 40 years ago. It remains a unexplained accident which at the time gave rise to speculation about a military missile exercise gone wrong. Veteran journalist Paul Barelli recently revisited the controversy in "Le Petit Nicois" and on the NiceRendezVous.com website. For him, and for the victims' families, the dossier remains open.
A reminder is in order: as airport safety records go, Nice has an excellent one.

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written by Ian Corby , 01 July 2008

I assume that John Fordyce is a qualified pilot by his observations from a bus of the "missed approach" carried out by a BA 757.
I can assure Mr Fordyce that the flight crew had a very good reason for carrying out a missed approach.
If the weather does not present a problem the easterly approach for landing on runway 04L is round Cap d'Antibes, but if there is a problem with weather (low cloud, rain) and visibility then the instrument landing system (ILS) is used, flying over Cap d'Antibes.
The westerly approach for landing on 22R requires a visual approach turning inside the Baie des Anges, but as with the easterly approach if there are weather problems then the approach becomes a bit of a challenge.
The other thing to notice is that aircraft are not allowed to take off if an aircraft is making an approach. This is to ensure the safety of both aircraft as the take off and missed approach paths would cross. Another challenge is when there is a Mistral blowing from the north. I'm sure we have all experience a "rough ride" coming into Nice - when the pilots earn their money, as they say!
Ian Corby (Capt 747 -A320-Citation)

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