Air France, Airbus Retrial Over AF447 Crash Opens in Paris

A French appeals court will open a new trial on Monday into Air France and Airbus, 16 years after Flight AF447 crashed into the Atlantic Ocean, killing all 228 people on board.

The retrial comes after a lower court in Paris cleared both companies of corporate manslaughter in 2023. Prosecutors appealed that verdict, seeking to re-examine evidence from one of aviation’s deadliest accidents.

The new proceedings will begin at 1:30 p.m. local time (1130 GMT) and are expected to last two months. Chief executives of Airbus and Air France, part of the Franco-Dutch Air France-KLM group, are due to deliver statements at the opening session.

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Flight AF447 disappeared on June 1, 2009, while en route from Rio de Janeiro to Paris. After a two-year search, investigators recovered the A330’s black boxes, which showed the crew mishandled a temporary loss of speed data from iced-up pitot sensors, pushing the aircraft into a fatal aerodynamic stall.

During the 2023 trial, judges identified four acts of negligence by Airbus and one by Air France. However, they ruled these were insufficient under French law to establish direct criminal liability for the crash. Prosecutors argue that Airbus responded too slowly to recurring issues with speed sensors, while Air France failed to provide adequate pilot training.

The AF447 disaster has been one of the most debated in modern aviation, prompting changes in training and equipment. Families of victims, who strongly opposed the acquittal, say a new trial is vital to establish accountability and deliver justice.

While the maximum fine for corporate manslaughter is capped at €225,000, prosecutors believe the retrial carries symbolic weight and could provide closure to grieving relatives.

The case continues to spotlight tensions between two of France’s flagship companies over responsibility for the country’s worst air disaster.

The appeals trial begins Monday afternoon in Paris, with testimony and evidence reviews expected to run until late November.