Air France and Airbus found guilty of manslaughter over 2009 plane crash
7 hours ago
- #Aviation Disaster
- #Corporate Responsibility
- #Legal Verdict
- Air France and Airbus were found guilty of manslaughter for the 2009 crash of flight AF447, which killed 228 people.
- The Paris Appeals Court held both companies solely responsible, overturning a previous acquittal; they plan to appeal and face maximum fines of €225,000 each.
- The crash occurred when the plane stalled during a storm due to technical sensor failures and pilot error, with recovery taking years and training/sensors since improved.
- Victims' families criticized the fines as token but praised the verdict for acknowledging their pain; the incident damaged the companies' reputations.
- The victims included passengers from 33 countries, mainly French, Brazilian, and German, with diverse backgrounds such as doctors, a prince, and children.