Airbus and Air France were found guilty of manslaughter by a French appeals court on Thursday over the 2009 crash of flight AF447, which killed all 228 people on board during a journey from Rio de Janeiro to Paris.
The Paris Court of Appeal ruled that both companies were “solely and entirely responsible” for the crash, overturning a 2023 acquittal following an eight-week trial.
The court ordered both companies to pay the maximum corporate manslaughter fine of €225,000 each.
The disaster remains the deadliest aviation accident in French history.
Flight AF447 disappeared from radar screens on June 1, 2009, while crossing the Atlantic Ocean during severe weather conditions.
The Airbus A330 stalled and plunged into the ocean from an altitude of 38,000 feet, killing 216 passengers and 12 crew members.
Investigators later found that ice had blocked the aircraft’s pitot tubes, which measure airspeed, causing cockpit alarms and disabling the autopilot system.
The pilots then pushed the aircraft into a climb, leading to a fatal stall.
The plane’s wreckage was discovered after extensive searches across 10,000 square kilometres of ocean floor, while the black boxes were recovered in 2011 after deep-sea operations.
Prosecutors argued that Airbus and Air France were aware of problems involving the pitot tube sensors and had failed to adequately prepare pilots for such emergencies.
Air France lawyer Pascal Weil acknowledged during proceedings that the airline had the ability to provide high-altitude training but did not consider it necessary at the time.
Victims’ families described the ruling as a long-awaited step toward accountability after years of legal battles.
Daniele Lamy, president of the AF447 victims’ association, said the verdict finally recognised the suffering endured by families affected by the tragedy.
Airbus said it would appeal the decision to France’s highest court, maintaining that the ruling contradicted earlier findings and submissions made during the case.
Passengers on the flight came from 33 countries, including France, Brazil, Germany, the United Kingdom, Ireland and the United States.