On March 28, 2026 at 7:00 PM, a very imposing plane made several loops over the Nord and Pas-de-Calais regions on Tuesday, March 24, 2026.
Between approximately 8:50 PM and 10 PM, the aircraft circled between Lille and Dunkirk, passing over Armentières, Ypres, Bergues, Saint-Omer, and Béthune.
It was not a commercial airliner, but rather a military aircraft from the French Air Force specializing in aerial refueling. The A330 MRTT, manufactured by Airbus Defence and Space, supports critical missions ranging from air power projection to troop deployment, freight transport, medical evacuation, and humanitarian aid.
Emmanuel Macron and Thomas Pesquet were on board the aircraft, departing from Istres to Paris after the President’s New Year’s wishes to the Armed Forces on January 15.
The aircraft departed from Istres Airbase at 7:50 PM and passed over the Nord and Pas-de-Calais regions around 8:50 PM, before landing back in Istres at 11:44 PM.
It may have been conducting refueling operations with one or more other aircraft, a common specialty of these missions.
On May 28, 2025, a similar operation was reported involving an F-16 fighter jet from the Belgian Air Force between Lille and Dunkirk. The same type of aircraft as the one that flew on Tuesday evening participated in this training exercise.
Was it a similar operation this time? Does it relate to the ongoing conflict in the Middle East? The French Armed Forces Public Relations Department responded on Friday, March 27, saying that they were not yet able to provide a consolidated answer and were waiting for more details about the flight.
Personalize your news by adding your favorite cities and media outlets with Mon Actu.
