A Paris appeals court finds Air France and Airbus guilty of involuntary manslaughter over the 2009 crash of Air France Flight 447, which killed 228 people on the Rio de Janeiro–to–Paris route. Multiple outlets say the court attributes negligence to the airline and aircraft maker, linking it to circumstances that led to the accident. The crash involved an Airbus A330 that plunged into the Atlantic Ocean during pitch-dark conditions and a severe equatorial storm, after entering a stall following faulty airspeed readings.

News coverage notes that the companies’ liability follows earlier developments: the matter had previously been cleared in an earlier court decision in 2023, and the appeals process in France re-opened findings. Victims’ families express contrasting reactions. Some say the ruling represents justice, while others argue that the process is not fully resolved.

Both Air France and Airbus state they will appeal the decision. Sources also report that the court orders maximum fines of €225,000 each, even as critics from among victims’ relatives describe the penalty as limited. The appeal process is expected to extend legal proceedings.