Accidents
Court Acquits Airbus, Air France in AF447 Manslaughter Trial
Judges rule that prosecutors did not produce evidence of a direct connection between the actions of Airbus and Air France and the crash of AF447.
Air France A330-200
An Air France Airbus A330-200 taxis at Paris Charles de Gaulle Airport in June 2017. (Photo: Flickr: Creative Commons (BY-SA) by Anna Zvereva)

A French court on Monday acquitted Airbus and Air France of involuntary manslaughter charges stemming from the 2019 crash of Flight AF447 into the Atlantic Ocean on a trip from Rio de Janeiro to Paris. All 228 occupants died when the Airbus A330-200 crashed at night while negotiating a region with heavy thunderstorm activity.

A three-judge panel ruled that the state did not produce evidence of any direct connection between the companies’ actions and the crash. The final verdict did not come unexpectedly, as prosecutors recommended acquittal after not finding the companies criminally liable.