Airbus, Air France reject blame over 2009 Rio-Paris AF447 crash

On Monday, September 29, Airbus and Air France both pleaded not guilty to manslaughter at the beginning of a new two-month trial concerning France’s deadliest aviation disaster.

The case stems from the crash of a Paris-bound jet into the Atlantic Ocean 16 years ago, which resulted in the deaths of all passengers and crew members.

In 2023, a French court had cleared both companies of corporate manslaughter after a historic public trial regarding the loss of Air France Flight 447, which disappeared from radar while traveling from Rio de Janeiro on June 1, 2009.

Following the court's decision, prosecutors appealed the verdict, and many of the victims’ families have vowed to continue their fight to prove criminal wrongdoing. The Paris appeals court will now review weeks of expert testimony, with the process expected to conclude in late November.

As the trial commenced, dozens of relatives stood in silent tribute as a French appeals judge read aloud the names of the 228 victims who perished when their Airbus A330 plunged into the ocean during a nighttime storm near the equator.

Both Airbus CEO Guillaume Faury and the CEO of Air France expressed their condolences for the victims' families but denied any criminal responsibility for the tragedy. “This accident is a tragedy,” Faury said as he left the courtroom. “Obviously, in an event like this, there is a tremendous amount to understand and learn.”

Copied