Air France and Airbus guilty of corporate manslaughter for 2009 plane crash
Firms given maximum fine of €225,000 each and are expected to appeal after lower court had cleared them
TL;DR
- Airbus and Air France found guilty of corporate manslaughter by a Paris appeals court.
- The verdict relates to the 2009 Rio-Paris plane crash that killed 228 passengers and crew.
- Both companies were fined €225,000 each, the maximum penalty for corporate manslaughter.
- This overturns a 2023 lower court decision that had cleared the companies.
- The families of the victims have pursued a 17-year legal battle for accountability.
- Further appeals to France's highest court are anticipated.