Air France, Airbus Guilty of Manslaughter in 2009 Plane Crash
The Air France flight 447, an Airbus A330, tragically vanished during a storm on June 1, 2009, resulting in the deaths of all 228 individuals aboard and becoming the deadliest French aviation incident. Despite extensive deep-sea searches, wreckage was not found until much later, with the black boxes recovered in 2011. Following this devastating event, both Airbus and Air France faced legal proceedings, with prosecutors accusing the companies of unacceptable behavior and fabricating arguments. While the companies were fined the maximum amount, some victims’ families deemed the penalty insufficient, though the ruling is expected to negatively impact the companies’ reputations.
John Q. Hosedrinker