Business Jet Ignores LAX Runway Instruction, Forcing Air France 777 to Abort Takeoff

The close call is now under FAA investigation, exposing vulnerabilities at one of America's busiest airports.

Apr. 15, 2026 at 11:00pm by

Got story updates? Submit your updates here. ›

An abstract, blurred image of a large commercial airliner in motion, with vibrant streaks of color and a sense of speed and urgency, conceptually representing the dramatic rejected takeoff of an Air France 777 at LAX.The dramatic rejected takeoff of an Air France Boeing 777 at LAX, triggered by a business jet's unauthorized runway incursion, highlights the critical need for strict adherence to safety protocols at busy airports.San Francisco Today

A Gulfstream G650ER business jet crossed onto an active runway at Los Angeles International Airport against a clear air traffic control instruction, forcing the crew of a fully loaded Air France Boeing 777-300ER to execute a high-speed rejected takeoff. The incident, which occurred on the evening of April 8, 2026, is now under Federal Aviation Administration investigation.

Why it matters

The close call highlights ongoing concerns about runway safety at major airports like LAX, where ground vehicles and transient aircraft must yield to planes moving at high speeds. This incident, where a professional crew explicitly acknowledged but then disregarded an ATC instruction, exposes a critical breakdown in the system's safety protocols.

The details

According to ATC recordings, air traffic controllers canceled the Air France flight's takeoff clearance after the Gulfstream jet crossed the hold short line and entered the path of the departing 777. The Air France crew was already accelerating for departure when runway warning lights alerted them to the incursion, prompting them to immediately reject the takeoff while under power and bring the aircraft to a safe stop.

  • The incident occurred around 6:15 p.m. on Wednesday, April 8, 2026.
  • Just an hour after the Air France and Gulfstream incident, a Frontier Airlines flight also had a close call at LAX.

The players

Air France

The airline operating Flight 25, a Boeing 777-300ER that was preparing to depart for Paris Charles de Gaulle Airport.

Gulfstream G650ER

The business jet that crossed onto the active runway at LAX against air traffic control instructions, forcing the Air France crew to abort their takeoff.

Federal Aviation Administration (FAA)

The U.S. government agency investigating the incident at LAX.

Frontier Airlines

The airline whose Airbus A321 flight also had a close call at LAX later the same night, when the pilot had to slam on the brakes to avoid service trucks on the runway.

Steve Arroyo

A longtime United Airlines pilot and aviation safety expert who provided context on the frequency of such incidents at airports across the country.

Got photos? Submit your photos here. ›

What they’re saying

“It was real close. The closest I have ever seen.”

— Frontier Airlines pilot

“In my 20 years of naval aviation, a lot of lessons learned were written in blood, i.e., we had fatalities. Here is a perfect example of a get-out-of-jail-free lesson learned. Nobody was hurt.”

— Sinclair, Retired naval aviator

“It is not a circumstance like we saw in LaGuardia, where you had vehicles that were responding to an emergency, that were crossing an active runway, that were under direct air traffic control.”

— Van Cleave, Aviation safety analyst

What’s next

The FAA's probe into the April 8 Air France incident will center on why the Gulfstream G650ER crew acknowledged a hold short instruction and then disregarded it. Runway hold short instructions are among the most fundamental and unambiguous commands in aviation phraseology, and the investigation will aim to determine if the incident was due to a lapse in situational awareness, a breakdown in crew coordination, or possible distraction during the post-landing rollout phase.

The takeaway

This incident highlights the critical importance of strict adherence to runway safety protocols, even among experienced professional crews. The breakdown in communication and situational awareness that led to the near-miss at LAX underscores the need for continued vigilance and training to prevent such dangerous occurrences at busy airports.