Air France and Airbus Found Guilty over Fatal 2009 Rio Crash

A Paris appeals court has found Air France and Airbus guilty of corporate manslaughter in connection with the 2009 crash of flight AF447 between Rio de Janeiro and Paris. All 228 people on board died in the disaster, making it the deadliest air accident in French history.

The ruling marks another milestone in a 17-year legal battle between the victims' families and the two companies. Relatives came from France, Brazil and Germany to hear the verdict.

The court imposed a maximum fine of 225,000 euro on each company for corporate manslaughter. Air France has already announced it will appeal.

A lower court acquitted both companies in 2023, but the victims' families pursued the case, arguing that a conviction was important primarily as an acknowledgement of responsibility for the tragedy.

The Airbus A330 disappeared from radar on 1 June 2009 while flying over the Atlantic Ocean. Flight recorders were only recovered two years later. Investigators concluded that the crew had responded incorrectly to a technical failure caused by iced-up sensors. Prosecutors also pointed to deficiencies in training and in the response to earlier incidents.

(reuters, max)