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Paris Court Convicts Airbus, Air France, Imposes €225k Fine

5/21/2026

26 6 Full Breakdown

Summary

Story summary

A Paris appeals court reversed a 2023 acquittal and convicted Airbus and Air France of corporate manslaughter for the 2009 Flight AF447 crash that killed 228 people.
The court ordered each company to pay the maximum corporate manslaughter fine of €225,000.
Victims’ families called the fine a token penalty and welcomed the conviction as formal recognition of their loss.
Airbus announced it will appeal the verdict to France’s highest court.

History

Historical Context

The Corporate Manslaughter and Corporate Homicide Act 2007, passed by Parliament, received royal assent on 26 July 2007 and took effect on 6 April 2008, creating a distinct corporate manslaughter offence in England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland. Its introduction replaced the rare corporate gross negligence manslaughter prosecutions and allowed corporations to face unlimited fines and remediation orders.

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Story summary

A Paris appeals court reversed a 2023 acquittal and convicted Airbus and Air France of corporate manslaughter for the 2009 Flight AF447 crash that killed 228 people.
The court ordered each company to pay the maximum corporate manslaughter fine of €225,000.
Victims’ families called the fine a token penalty and welcomed the conviction as formal recognition of their loss.
Airbus announced it will appeal the verdict to France’s highest court.

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