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A Paris appeals court has found Air France and Airbus guilty of involuntary manslaughter over the 2009 crash of Flight AF447, overturning an earlier acquittal in a case tied to the deadliest aviation disaster in French history.
The Paris Court of Appeal ruled that the French flag carrier and Europe's leading aerospace manufacturer were "solely and entirely responsible," ordering each to pay 225,000 euros ($261,000), the maximum fine for corporate manslaughter.
While the penalties are symbolic, the ruling is seen as having caused significant reputational damage to both companies.
On June 1, 2009, Air France Flight AF447, travelling from Rio de Janeiro to Paris, was cruising over the Atlantic when the pilots lost control of the aircraft, causing it to plunge into the ocean.
There were no survivors among the 216 passengers and 12 crew on board the Airbus-built A330 aircraft. The victims included 72 French nationals and 58 Brazilians.
The companies, which denied any criminal liability, blaming pilot error, had been acquitted by a lower court in 2023.
Although prosecutors at the time had asked for the charges to be dropped, they had subsequently appealed to allow "the full potential of the legal appeals procedure" to play out.
The eight-week appeal trial ran between September and December last year.
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