On Thursday, a French appeals court convicted Air France and Airbus of involuntary manslaughter related to the 2009 crash of flight AF447, which tragically killed 228 people, marking it as France's worst aviation disaster. The Paris Court of Appeal stated that both companies were 'solely and entirely responsible' for the incident, ordering them to pay fines of €225,000 ($261,000) each. This ruling represents a significant reversal from a 2023 lower court decision that had acquitted both companies, attributing the crash primarily to pilot error.

The court emphasized that the earlier ruling failed to consider the causal chain involving the pilots' actions, which were influenced by the companies' negligence. The crash occurred when the aircraft lost control due to malfunctioning pitot tubes, leading to a stall and subsequent plunge into the Atlantic Ocean. While the ruling is seen as a step toward justice for the victims' families, both companies plan to appeal, prolonging the legal battle that has lasted 17 years. Victims' families expressed a mix of relief and frustration, noting that while some accountability has been established, no executives have faced direct consequences for their roles in the tragedy.