Air France and Airbus Found Guilty of Manslaughter Over 2009 Crash
Air France and Airbus have been found guilty of manslaughter.
A Long-Awaited Verdict
The case relates to a 2009 plane crash that killed 228 people. The Paris Appeals Court found the airline and aircraft manufacturer “solely and entirely responsible” for the incident.
Flight AF447 was travelling from Rio de Janeiro to Paris. It crashed into the Atlantic Ocean. The passenger jet stalled during a storm and plunged into the water. All on board died.
Companies to Appeal
A court had previously cleared the companies in April 2023. However, they were found guilty on Thursday after an eight-week trial. Both companies have repeatedly denied the charges. They say they will appeal. The crash is the deadliest in French aviation history. All 12 crew members and 216 passengers were killed. The wreckage was found after a long search of 10,000 sq km of sea floor. The flight recorder was not found until 2011.
Reactions to the Verdict
The companies have been asked to pay a fine of €225,000 each. Some victims’ families have criticized the amount as a token penalty. Daniele Lamy lost her son in the accident. She praised the court’s verdict, saying the justice system was “at last, taking into account the pain of the families”. During closing arguments in November, deputy prosecutors called the companies’ behavior “unacceptable”.
