Air France flight diverts to Amsterdam after smoke reported in cabin

An Air France flight was forced to divert to Amsterdam Schiphol Airport after smoke was reportedly detected inside the cabin during the flight. The incident involved Air France flight AF1640 from Paris Charles de Gaulle Airport to Stockholm Arlanda on Sunday, 25 May. The aircraft, an Airbus A320, declared an emergency while cruising over the Netherlands and diverted to Amsterdam Schiphol Airport as a precautionary measure.

According to flight tracking data, the aircraft landed safely at Schiphol shortly afterwards, where emergency services were standing by upon arrival.

Passengers on board reported noticing a smell of smoke in the cabin, prompting the crew to initiate emergency procedures. Videos and photos circulating on social media appeared to show firefighters inspecting the aircraft after landing.

Air France confirmed that the diversion was carried out due to a “technical issue” involving a smell of smoke detected during the flight. The airline said the aircraft landed normally and passengers disembarked safely.

No injuries were reported.

The airline arranged for passengers to continue their journey to Stockholm on an alternative aircraft after the Airbus A320 underwent technical inspections at Schiphol.

Aircraft cabin smoke or unusual odours are treated seriously by flight crews, as they can potentially indicate electrical faults, overheating equipment or air conditioning system malfunctions. Standard operating procedures generally require pilots to divert to the nearest suitable airport whenever the source cannot immediately be identified.

Amsterdam Schiphol Airport briefly deployed emergency services near the runway during the landing, but airport operations were not significantly affected.