A Paris court has ruled that Air France and Airbus are guilty of negligence causing death in relation to the 2009 plane crash.
On 21 May 2026 GMT+7, the Paris Court of Appeal sentenced Air France and aircraft manufacturer Airbus guilty of corporate negligence leading to death from the 2009 plane crash, which resulted in 228 fatalities.
The Airbus A330 flight AF447 from Rio de Janeiro to Paris crashed into the Atlantic Ocean on 1 June 2009 GMT+7 after experiencing a "wing stall" during a storm, causing it to plunge into the sea and killing everyone on board.
Previously, the court had acquitted both companies in April 2023 GMT+7, but after this appeal, they were found guilty.
The wreckage of the Airbus A330 was found after an extensive search covering 10,000 square kilometers of seabed, and the black boxes were recovered after months of deep-sea searching in 2011 GMT+7.
All 12 crew members and 216 passengers on board died when the plane crashed into the ocean from 38,000 feet. This tragedy is the deadliest in French aviation history, with many relatives—mostly French, Brazilian, and German—gathering to hear today's verdict.
Air France and Airbus were each fined the maximum amount of 225,000 euros (approximately 8.5 million baht), though some victims' families criticized the fines as merely symbolic.
Nonetheless, the ruling is seen as damaging to the reputations of both companies, and it is expected that Airbus and Air France will appeal the decision.
Follow international news:https://www.thairath.co.th/news/foreign
Source:bbc