Come on. This issue is now over. The AF CC both could speak excellent English (and I'm guessing Spanish, too), and did make the appropriate announcements. Journalistic license appears to have just went way too far in its initial reporting on this incident.

But if anyone wants to keep the thread percolating, let me observe that perhaps the worst offenders with respect to linguistic diversity are the anglophones -- particularly the Americans (such as myself). While decent Spanish capability is likely to present among an American CC, facility with other languages generally is problematic. Thus, we should be the last people to throw brickbats at other airlines' communications.

Was on a (British) plane that diverted with the cabin full of smoke and made an over weight landing. There was only one quite terse announcement from the cockpit - I got the impression they were quite busy, and that talking to me was not a priority for them.

SLF3b

You are more than likely correct and that is the way it has to be, if there is more time there will be further PA's from the Flight Deck. I would also suspect, although you did not mention it, that there were PA's from the Cabin Crew concerning the situation.

Did they wear oxy masks?

Makes PA announcements very charming.

Yea come on guys. They were clapping cause they were happy they landed safely thats all. It was not a sarcastic insult or anything like that

Not quite. When journalists write something which is in pilots' interests, it's gospel, when they don't, it's sensationalist cr&p. Irrespective of truth.

Well, in this particular case it was obviously complete bilological remains regarding any aspect of flight and crew...

In english or french ?

SLF3b,

There is something all pilots are taught when they first start flying around in spamcans which tends to stick with them for the rest of their flying careers (whether private or professional). It's a simple series of three words .....

Aviate ..... Navigate ..... Communicate

i.e.

First and foremost you fly the plane.

When you're happy the plane is doing what it should be doing, you can move on to figuring out where the :mad: you are !

Once you've done that, you can communicate. This too has three levels of priority, in the following order :

(1) Radio work (so other airspace stakeholders know what your intentions are and allowing you to obtain clearances).
(2) If you're lucky enough to have cabin crew... relaying messages to them
(3) Talking to passengers

Of course, if there are two of you up front, CRM and company SOPs introduce an added layer of complexity, but fundamentally a lot of the above still applies in terms of prioritising who you talk to and when.

That is why ....

Is to be expected in the event of something else going on to keep those in the pointy end busy.

Spot on mixture!

The first essential is to ensure the safety of the aircraft. Of course one has to reassure the passengers, but, however aware one is of the need to do this, the safety of the flight comes first - as you say; aviate, navigate communicate, and then in the order you have stated!

Air France again , it seems they have been dogged by continous problems , what does this say for there maintenance? Is this just pure bad luck or something else ?

it's the french
 

What with dastardly "empennage, fuselage, aileron, breguet, dassault", etc etc as opposed "airplanes, aircraft"... yes, clearly the French. [Hat, coat...]

You guys struggle with irony.

On balance, I was happy for them to prioritise landing the plane over talking to me - even though I was flying Business Class.