In the court case concerning the fatal 2009 crash of Air France Flight 447 between Rio de Janeiro and Paris, the Paris Court of Appeal has ruled that both the airline and Airbus were negligent and found them guilty of negligent homicide. Consequently, both companies have been fined €225,000 each.
The accident, which occurred over the Atlantic, tragically claimed the lives of 228 people. The aircraft had entered a severe weather system and subsequently crashed into the Atlantic Ocean. At the time, this accident represented the worst disaster in the history of Air France and the Airbus A330 model.
These convictions come after both companies had been acquitted in the first instance, where they had consistently maintained their innocence.
During the proceedings, Airbus faced specific criticism regarding its handling of failed probes, alongside accusations of inadequate staff training. Ultimately, the appellate court determined that the sole responsibility for the tragedy lay with the two companies involved.