Crew's surf trip delays flight

AN AIR France flight from Kuala Lumpur to Paris was delayed by 24 hours after crew went on a surf trip and failed to make it back to the airport in time.

293 passengers were stuck in Malaysia for the day after crew on flight AF241 decided to use their stopover time to squeeze in a quick visit to Bali.

The Indonesia trip had been carefully planned to ensure staff were back in Malaysia in time for their next shift to begin - but a volcanic eruption grounded the crew's flight back to Kuala Lumpur.

Without them, the Air France flight did not have the three pilots and 12 crew required by law.

An Air France spokesman said of the surfers: "It was their rest day and they can use it as they see fit."

The airline provided accommodation to delayed passengers and another crew agreed to curtail their time off to get the flight in the air.

Air France says it is "examining" requests for compensation.