France’s BEA has widened its investigation into the serious runway near-miss at Nice Côte d’Azur Airport involving a Nouvelair Airbus A320 and an easyJet A320, after carrying out a reconstructed night flight with easyJet to examine how runway lighting and approach conditions may have affected crew perception. The incident took place on 21 September 2025, when the Nouvelair jet was cleared for runway 04L but lined up with 04R, where the easyJet aircraft was already stopped for departure.
The latest work involved coordination with French air navigation services and the Nice airport operator, alongside reviews of weather, flight recorder data, airport ATC systems, radiocommunications, and interviews with pilots and controllers. The inquiry is also examining crew and controller procedures, as well as the difference in lighting between runways 04L and 04R, which remains a key technical question.
The BEA identified potential safety improvements linked to crew familiarity with aerodrome-specific features, runway-lighting rules and checks, and the handling of safety occurrences by DSNA. The findings remain provisional, and the agency has not yet issued final safety recommendations.