The French Bureau of Enquiry and Analysis for Civil Aviation Safety (BEA) issued an update on 21 September 2026 regarding its investigation into a serious incident that occurred on 21 September 2025 at Nice Côte d'Azur Airport (NCE). A Nouvelair Airbus A320-200 (ICAO type code A320), cleared to land on runway 04L, instead lined up for runway 04R where an easyJet A320-200 was stopped and aligned with the centreline.
According to the BEA's October 2025 preliminary report, the Nouvelair aircraft's radio altitude dropped from 39 ft to 10 ft in one second before rising to 24 ft in the next second, prompting a go-around. The flight crew had confirmed the clearance for runway 04L at around 21:30 local time but proceeded to runway 04R.
To examine the influence of runway lighting on the approaches, the BEA conducted a night flight reenactment in January 2026 in coordination with French air navigation services, the Nice airport operator, and easyJet, which supplied a crew and aircraft. The Hyères Gendarmerie Air Section (SAG) helicopter unit performed the reenactment. The Service Technique de l'aviation Civile (STAC) analysed the runway lighting characteristics and their perceptual impact. Additional work covered European aerodrome lighting regulations, inspection procedures, and previous runway confusion occurrences at Nice.
The BEA stated the investigation had notably shown possibilities of improvement concerning: crews' knowledge of certain aerodrome specificities; regulatory requirements for aerodrome lighting and the methods for checking such lighting (on the ground and in flight); use of the Advanced Surface Movement Guidance and Control System (A-SMGCS); and the Direction des Services de la Navigation Aérienne's (DSNA) handling of safety occurrences. These points may evolve as work progresses.
The investigation continues to consolidate findings, identify contributing factors, and, where appropriate, issue safety recommendations or safety messages to prevent recurrence.
