French court finds Airbus, Air France guilty of manslaughter in 2009 crash
Al Jazeera • • world
Key Points:
- A French appeals court found Airbus and Air France guilty of manslaughter for the 2009 Rio de Janeiro-Paris crash that killed 228 people, ruling both companies solely responsible for flight AF447's disaster.
- The court ordered each company to pay 225,000 euros ($261,720) per passenger, the maximum fine for corporate manslaughter, although the penalties are largely symbolic.
- The crash was caused by sensor malfunctions due to ice-blocked pitot tubes, which led to pilot confusion and a stall; families argued Airbus and Air France knew about the issue but failed to provide proper pilot training.
- Both companies denied the charges and Airbus announced it would appeal to France’s highest court, contesting the ruling that contradicted previous acquittals and prosecutor submissions.
- Prosecutors criticized the companies for their conduct during the lengthy legal process, emphasizing a lack of sincere remorse or accountability.