The Paris Court of Appeals has held Air France and Airbus responsible for involuntary manslaughter for the 2009 plane crash on the connection between Rio de Janeiro and the French capital, imposing a joint financial penalty amounting to 225,000 euros, the maximum amount foreseen.
This new judicial ruling overturns the acquittal of both companies, issued by another court in April 2023, following a new request filed by the French Public Prosecutor's Office, as reported by the "BBC".
On June 1, 2009, the Airbus A330 covering flight AF447 between Rio de Janeiro and Paris plunged into the Atlantic Ocean in the middle of the night, a few hours after takeoff, causing the deaths of 216 passengers and 12 crew members.
There were people of 33 different nationalities on board, including 61 French, 58 Brazilian, two Spanish, and one Argentine. The crew consisted of 11 French citizens and one Brazilian.