Airbus and Air France convicted over 2009 crash that killed 228

A Paris court found Airbus and Air France guilty of corporate manslaughter for the 2009 crash of Flight AF447, which killed all 228 people on board. The Airbus A330 vanished from radar on June 1, 2009, during an Atlantic storm, with passengers from 33 nationalities. The verdict follows a 17-year legal battle by victims' families. The court imposed the maximum fine of €225,000 ($261,720) on each company, as requested by prosecutors during the eight-week trial. In 2023, a lower court had cleared both companies, which have consistently denied charges. Family groups view the conviction as recognition of their suffering, though the fines are widely seen as token, amounting to minutes of corporate revenue.