WhyIsThereAir
I read the report of the IB crew as saying they had decided to take on the additional 2000 kg of fuel. AF of course took on about half that.
That raises another can of worms. It is reported that the plane was over MTOW as it left the gate and was just under it as it lifted off. Does that suggest that the aircraft was overloaded and the crew did its best to handle the situation despite that fact? The fuel situation may well have colored the crew's election to plow on roughly straight line into the mess.
I hope the hole in my conjecture does not mean the pilot lacks the authority to cut some of the load from the plane to get more fuel aboard. That sounds absurd.
JD-EE