Am I missing something? I can't see any mention of a lack of language skills. It seems to have crept into the thread, and done a "Topsy" (just growed)
Yes, you missed something. Watch the BBC link (repeated here for clarity):
BBC News - 'Crying and screaming' as Air France plane loses height
The passenger who is interviewed states (my interpretation for those too lazy to watch the video): "There was no information. The cabin crew didn't speak English. They said they are a French Airline and only speak French".
So language skills DO seem to be an issue.
- GY