• Swiftair was found guilty of corporate manslaughter relating to the 2014 Mali crash.
• The airline has been fined €225,000 ($256,000) by a Paris court.
• The court ruled that negligence in training contributed to the crash.
• Families of victims expressed relief after more than 12 years of seeking justice.
• Swiftair intends to appeal the ruling.

A Paris court has found Spanish airline Swiftair guilty of corporate manslaughter related to the 2014 crash of Air Algérie flight AH5017, which resulted in the deaths of all 116 people on board. The court imposed a maximum fine of €225,000 ($256,000) after a three-week trial, highlighting negligence in Swiftair's training procedures. Investigators revealed that an ice build-up occurred on the aircraft due to the anti-icing system being switched off, which led to the crash, according to BBC and Reuters.

The crash took place shortly after takeoff from Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso, en route to Algiers, Algeria, in July 2014. Reports indicate that the aircraft went into a stall caused by ice formation, as the crew had not completed necessary training and refresher flights. Family lawyer Sebastien Busy commented on the court’s ruling, stating that it brought relief to families affected by the tragedy who had "been fighting for more than 12 years for justice," according to Reuters and Al Jazeera.

Swiftair, which operated the flight under contract for Air Algérie, has announced its intention to appeal the verdict, arguing that the trial should not have proceeded since a Spanish court had previously dropped similar charges. The airline maintains that it adhered to safety regulations, according to Al Jazeera and BBC.

This ruling marks only the second time an airline has been convicted of corporate manslaughter in France, the first involving Air France and Airbus in a separate incident that occurred in 2009. Critics argue that the €225,000 fine remains insufficient and merely symbolic, yet families impacted by both catastrophes have expressed that justice is their primary pursuit, as stated in sources from Reuters, BBC, and Al Jazeera.