Air France pilots raise concerns over Honeywell radar on Airbus A350

Air France pilots have issued an alert over recurring faults in the Honeywell weather radar installed on the airline’s Airbus A350 aircraft, according to a December 16 statement released in Paris by the Health, Safety and Working Conditions Committee (CSSCT), as reported by Le Parisien.

The radar is accused of lacking reliability, providing images that may be inaccurate, particularly at distances beyond 80 nautical miles, or about 150 kilometers. The CSSCT highlighted an elevated risk to operational safety. Air France operates 41 A350-900s, with more aircraft to be delivered.

The CSSCT’s concern led to the formal issuance of a “serious and imminent danger” notice, calling for the attention of authorities and fleet operators.

The history of the issue dates back to earlier crew reports of discrepancies in weather information displayed by the radar on long-haul flights.

Airbus and Air France issued an operational notice acknowledging reduced radar performance beyond 80 nautical miles and instructing flight crews to exercise heightened vigilance. Pilots were also advised to avoid certain shaded areas displayed on the radar.

Airbus said it has been aware of the issue since 2023 and maintains that it poses “no critical safety risk,” an assessment that it said is shared by the European Union Aviation Safety Agency.

As of November 2025, the global operational fleet of the aircraft totaled 685 jets, comprising the Airbus A350-900 and A350-1000 variants, according to industry fleet data.

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