A Paris appeals court found Airbus and Air France guilty of corporate manslaughter regarding the 2009 Rio-Paris crash. This verdict overturns a 2023 acquittal and ends a 17-year legal battle for families of the 228 victims.
The court ordered both companies to pay the maximum fine of €225,000. Airbus intends to appeal the ruling to the Court of Cassation, France's highest court.
The decision marks a significant event for the aviation insurance market. Underwriters may reshape risk calculations after the court declared the companies solely and entirely responsible.