Overview
- The Court of Appeal in Paris on May 21, 2026 reversed a 2023 acquittal and found Airbus and Air France criminally guilty of involuntary manslaughter for the 2009 AF447 crash, imposing the maximum corporate fine of €225,000 on each company.
- Investigators recovered flight recorders that showed Pitot probes froze and gave false airspeed readings, a failure that led to control errors and an aerodynamic stall that caused the loss of the Airbus A330.
- Prosecutors argued Airbus understated the risk and failed to push urgent safety information about Pitot probes while Air France did not provide adequate pilot training for probe-ice scenarios, linking those systemic shortcomings to the crash.
- Both companies rejected criminal responsibility during the trial and Airbus announced it will appeal to the Court of Cassation, a move that is expected to prolong final legal resolution for years and pause enforcement of the fines.
- Families of the 228 victims said the verdict offers formal recognition of corporate blame even though the fines are small, and the case highlights how technical accident findings and corporate liability are tested under French criminal law.