Bizjet Incursion Triggers Air France Rejected Takeoff

The FAA is investigating a runway incursion at Los Angeles International Airport (KLAX) after air traffic controllers canceled takeoff clearance for an Air France flight when a business jet entered the runway without authorization.

The April 8 incident involving Air France Flight 25 occurred around 6:15 p.m. local time as the Boeing 777-328ER accelerated for departure to Paris Charles de Gaulle Airport (LFPG), according to NBC Los Angeles. A Gulfstream G650ER that had just landed crossed Runway 24L, placing the business jet directly in the path of the departing Air France aircraft.

Air traffic controllers had instructed the Gulfstream pilot to hold short of Runway 24L after landing, and the pilot acknowledged the instruction, according to ATC recordings. However, the business jet proceeded to cross the line.

Runway warning lights alerted the Air France crew to the incursion, and the pilots immediately rejected the takeoff, according to NBC4. Controllers canceled the takeoff clearance after the Gulfstream crossed onto the runway. The Air France crew brought the aircraft to a safe stop, held position for approximately 10 minutes, then departed successfully with a slight delay. No injuries were reported.

Hours after this incident, a Frontier Airlines Airbus A321 was forced to abort its takeoff at KLAX when service vehicles entered the runway area. No injuries were reported, and the FAA is also investigating that incident. 

The back-to-back incidents at one of the nation’s busiest airports come amid heightened scrutiny of runway safety following a fatal collision at New York’s LaGuardia Airport on March 22. An Air Canada Express CRJ-900 struck an aircraft rescue and firefighting vehicle during landing, killing both pilots and injuring dozens of passengers and firefighters.

According to FAA data, U.S. runway incursions have hovered around 1,700 annually for the past six years. While most incidents fall under Category C or D—where there is ample time to avoid collision or no immediate safety impact—a growing number of Category A and B events, where collision was narrowly avoided or risked, have captured national attention.

The FAA has deployed tools, including the Surface Awareness Initiative, which offers real-time situational awareness to controllers at busy airports. Manufacturers such as Garmin, Honeywell, and Collins Aerospace have also introduced enhanced cockpit-based surface alert systems that issue real-time warnings to pilots of potential conflicts during taxi and takeoff operations.