By Our Correspondent

National News – Air France and Airbus have been found guilty of manslaughter over the 2009 crash of Flight AF447, a disaster that killed all 228 passengers and crew on board.

The ruling was delivered on Thursday by the Paris Appeals Court, overturning an earlier 2023 decision that cleared both companies.

The court held the airline and aircraft maker “solely and entirely responsible” for the fatal Atlantic Ocean crash.

The doomed flight was travelling from Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, to Paris, France, on June 1, 2009, when the aircraft stalled during a violent storm and plunged into the Atlantic from 38,000 feet.

The tragedy became the deadliest aviation disaster in French history.

Investigators later discovered that faulty air-speed sensors and pilot error combined to cause the crash.

The pilots reportedly reacted incorrectly after receiving confusing speed readings.

The case lasted several years, with renewed hearings spanning eight weeks before the latest verdict.

Prosecutors accused both companies of negligence and failing to properly address known technical concerns linked to the aircraft’s sensors.

Families of victims welcomed the judgment, describing it as long-awaited justice after years of grief and legal battles.

Although the court ordered Air France and Airbus to pay the maximum fine of €225,000 each, some relatives argued the penalties were too small compared to the scale of the tragedy.

Many victims were from France, Brazil, and Germany, while others came from Britain, Ireland, and several other countries.

The crash also triggered major changes in global aviation safety.

Authorities improved pilot training procedures and replaced the aircraft’s speed sensors to reduce the risk of similar accidents in the future.

Both Air France and Airbus have denied wrongdoing and are expected to appeal the ruling.