A Paris appeals court has overturned an earlier acquittal and convicted Air France and Airbus of corporate manslaughter over the 2009 crash of flight AF447 that killed all 228 people on board.
Air France and Airbus have been found guilty of manslaughter by the Paris Appeals Court over the 2009 crash of flight AF447, which plunged into the Atlantic Ocean during a storm between Rio de Janeiro and Paris, killing all 228 on board.
The Airbus A330 stalled mid-flight and fell from 38,000 feet, making it the deadliest incident in French aviation history. Its black box was recovered after extensive deep-sea searches in 2011.
The ruling overturns a 2023 court decision that had cleared both companies. Both Air France and Airbus have been ordered to pay the maximum fine of €225,000 each, though some victims’ families have criticised the amount as inadequate.
Relatives of the mainly French, Brazilian and German passengers gathered in Paris to hear the landmark verdict.
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