Row of 'first' cross Channel electric flight

Two French pilots are disputing which of them made the first electric powered flight across the English Channel.

Hugues Duval said he flew from Calais to the English shoreline and returned on Thursday night.

Didier Esteyne landed in France after taking off in a battery-powered plane developed by Airbus having taken off from Lydd Airport in Kent earlier.

The company said their rival's flight "would not count" as Mr Duval "set off from another plane".

After his return flight Mr Duval said he felt "relief" and that it had been an "important moment" after years of developing the plane and flying it over land.

An Airbus spokesman said: "We are not worried. It would not count because we understand he set off from another plane.

"We applaud the intrepid aviator that did this, although the actual details are yet to be confirmed."

After landing in Calais, Mr Esteyne would not comment on the flight by his rival Mr Duval.

He said: "I don't have to talk about that. We did something today. It's important to us and that's the most important thing."

Describing the flight, he said: "It was almost perfect and of course I feel good. We did it and now the journey is done.

"The most difficult part was during the climb... it took about 14 minutes to be more secure."

It is more than 100 years since French aviation pioneer Louis Bleriot became the first person to fly across the Channel in a plane.