A Paris appeals court found Airbus and Air France guilty of involuntary manslaughter for the 2009 Rio-Paris crash that killed all 228 aboard. Airbus ignored known risks with ice-prone speed sensors, and Air France failed to properly train pilots for high-altitude emergencies. After 17 years of denial and blame-shifting, the court ruled both companies were solely and entirely responsible.
The 2023 acquittal of Airbus and Air France reflected what the evidence actually showed — pilots mishandled the loss of speed data and pushed the jet into a fatal stall without responding to alerts. Even state prosecutors argued for acquittal, finding insufficient proof of criminal wrongdoing by the companies. Airbus is now appealing the conviction to France's Court of Cassation, signaling this legal fight is far from settled.
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