• Airbus and Air France convicted of corporate manslaughter over the 2009 Rio-Paris crash.
• The Paris Court ordered both companies to pay €225,000 each, the maximum fine.
• Relatives have mixed feelings; some hope for prison sentences for executives.
• Both companies plan to appeal the verdict, prolonging the legal saga.
• The crash killed 228 people and is France's deadliest aviation disaster.

The Paris Court of Appeal has found Airbus and Air France guilty of involuntary manslaughter related to the tragic crash of Flight AF447, which claimed 228 lives on June 1, 2009. The court ruled that both companies were "solely and entirely responsible" for the disaster, ordering each to pay a maximum fine of €225,000 (approximately US$261,720). This ruling represents a dramatic turnaround after a previous acquittal in 2023, marking it as a significant milestone in legal accountability for the worst air disaster in French history, according to SCMP, The Local, and Le Monde.

While the fines are deemed symbolic, they represent significant reputational damage for both firms. Daniele Lamy, a representative of the victims' families, expressed that "justice has absolutely been done," highlighting the emotional toll on families who have fought for recognition since the crash, which resulted from pilot error amid iced-up sensors during turbulent weather. Airbus and Air France had repeatedly denied liability, attributing the disaster to pilot error and procedural misunderstandings, according to Al Jazeera and Channel News Asia.

Following the verdict, both companies announced their intent to appeal to France’s highest court, the Cour de cassation, seeking a re-examination of the legal issues involved. Airbus stated that this ruling contradicts earlier judicial pronouncements that acquitted them, and Air France acknowledged the decision while expressing regret over prolonging the legal process for affected families, as reported by SCMP and Le Monde.

The emotional landscape following this ruling remains complex; while some families like Nelson Faria Marinho, who lost a son in the crash, express dissatisfaction over the absence of prison sentences for executives, others, like Lamy, perceive the verdict as a milestone of justice. Marinho articulated, “It hurts a lot, but it is impossible to translate into words the pain of losing a child,” emphasizing the ongoing grief among the victims' families that extends beyond financial penalties, according to SCMP and Le Monde.