Paris Appeals Court Finds Airbus And Air France Guilty In 2009 AF447 Crash

A Paris appeals court found Airbus and Air France guilty of corporate manslaughter over the 2009 Rio de Janeiro-Paris crash of flight AF447, which killed 228 passengers and crew.

“A French appeals court has found Airbus and Air France guilty of manslaughter in 2009 Rio de Janeiro-Paris crash that killed 228 people – the worst aviation disaster in the country’s history”

Al Jazeera

The court ruled the companies were "solely and entirely responsible" for the crash and ordered a payment of 225,000 euros for each passenger, the maximum fine for corporate manslaughter.

Al Jazeera

The Irish Times reported that families of three Irish doctors killed in the crash said they were "delighted" by the verdict, naming Dr Aisling Butler (26) from Roscrea, Co Tipperary, Dr Jane Deasy (27) from Dublin, and Dr Eithne Walls (28) from Co Down.

The BBC said the passenger jet stalled during a storm and plunged into the Atlantic Ocean, killing all on board, and noted that the flight recorder was not found until 2011 after months of deep-sea searches.

The BBC also said the court had previously cleared the companies in April 2023, but they were found guilty on Thursday after an eight-week trial.

Air France and Airbus said they would appeal to France’s highest court after the Paris Court of Appeal verdict, with the BBC stating both companies repeatedly denied the charges.

Prosecutor Rodolphe Juy-Birmann told the court during the trial that "Nothing has come of it – not a single word of sincere comfort," and he added, "One word sums up this whole circus: indecency."

Australian Broadcasting Corporation

Daniele Lamy, president of the AF447 victims' association, said outside the courtroom, "Justice has absolutely been done," as relatives listened to the verdict in silence.

The Irish Times quoted John Butler, father of Aisling Butler, saying, "I am delighted that justice has been done," after the court ordered the companies to pay the maximum fine for corporate manslaughter.

The Guardian reported that French lawyers predicted further appeals to the country’s highest court, potentially dragging the process out for years more and prolonging the ordeal for relatives.

The Paris Court of Appeal ordered Airbus and Air France to pay the maximum fine of €225,000 for corporate manslaughter, a penalty described as symbolic but framed by families as a recognition of their plight.

“- Published Air France and Airbus have been found guilty of manslaughter over a 2009 plane crash which killed 228 people”

BBC

The BBC said the ruling may be seen as causing damage to the companies' reputations, while the Irish Times reported the court ordered the companies to pay the maximum fine following the request of prosecutors during the eight-week trial.

The crash unfolded on June 1, 2009, when flight AF447 disappeared from radar screens as it headed from Rio de Janeiro in Brazil to the French capital Paris, with 216 passengers and 12 crew on board.

The BBC said the wreckage was located after a long search of 10,000 sq km of sea floor and that the flight recorder was not found until 2011, after months of deep-sea searches.

The Irish Times added that the verdict was the latest milestone in a legal marathon after a 17-year legal battle to pinpoint blame, with Airbus saying it would appeal after the Paris appeals court found it guilty of corporate manslaughter.