PARIS: Air France and plane manufacturer Airbus were acquitted on Monday over the 2009 crash of a Rio-Paris flight after a French court ruled their errors could not be proven to be the cause of the disaster.

While the ruling was expected after prosecutors recommended to the Paris court not to seek a conviction, it was still a huge blow for families of victims who have waged a 14-year campaign for justice.

The two France-based companies went on trial in October to determine their responsibility for the worst aviation disaster in Air France’s history, which left all 228 people on board flight AF447 dead.

Prosecutors said as hearings in the eight-week trial wound up in December it was “impossible” to convict the two aviation giants, which were charged with involuntary manslaughter but denied the charges. If convicted, the two companies would have risked a fine of $250,000 as well as significant reputational damage.

As the verdict was read out, relatives of the victims present in court stood up, appearing stunned, then sat down again. Ophelie Toulliou, who lost her brother in the accident, said she was dazed by the “injustice” of the verdict.

Published in Dawn, April 18th, 2023