English-Only Rule for Air Pilots Dropped

Air France suspended an order that had forced pilots of the French national airline to speak English with air traffic controllers at Paris’ Charles de Gaulle airport. The decision was made after consulting air traffic controllers, pilots and government officials, the airline said. Air France denied that it acted in response to political pressure and said that the rule could be reinstated after a review. The English-only rule, in effect since March 23, had drawn criticism from French language purists and officials, notably because it forced pilots and air traffic controllers to speak in a second language. Under the Convention on International Civil Aviation, a nation has the right to choose the language its airport workers use to communicate.