An Air France passenger says he was injured when his business-class seat came loose during takeoff, and is suing the airline
BERTRAND GUAY/AFP via Getty Images
- An Air France passenger is suing the airline for over $100,000, saying he was injured on a flight.
- Sofiane Licir said he sustained "serious" injuries when his business-class seat broke during takeoff.
- The suit says he was "propelled into the confines of his seating area" when pilots aborted takeoff.
An Air France passenger is suing the airline, saying he was injured when his business-class seat broke during takeoff.
Sofiane Licir's attorneys filed the suit, which Business Insider has seen, on November 20 in the US District Court for the Southern District of Texas.
The Texas resident is seeking over $100,000 in damages from the complaint.
It says that Licir was flying from Paris to Houston in December 2022. when he "sustained serious and permanent injuries." Exact injuries are not detailed in the lawsuit.
The Airbus A350 was apparently close to reaching takeoff speed when the pilots decided to abort their takeoff attempt, the suit says.
It adds that Licir's business-class seat then broke from the railings it was fastened to — causing him to be "propelled into the confines of his seating area."
The suit says that the Air France-KLM group's maintenance service failed to prevent the seat's mechanical failure.
Licir's attorneys are asking for damages under the Montreal Convention, an international treaty that stipulates airlines are liable for passenger injuries on board an aircraft unless they can prove the passenger was negligent.
The suit adds that the requested damages would exceed the Montreal Convention's minimum of $128,213.
Air France did not immediately respond to a request for comment sent by Business Insider.
Seat issues on airlines are not unheard of, with frequent flights and fast turnarounds on planes sometimes meaning issues cannot be immediately resolved.
In May, a British Airways passenger said he endured a seven-hour flight with no headrest and an exposed bolt.
And last year, an Emirates passenger sued the airline saying his business-class seat was "absolutely disgusting" and didn't recline.