A French appeals court in Paris has ordered Airbus and Air France to pay more than Rs 720 crore in fines in connection with a 2009 air crash that killed 288 people. The ruling comes 17 years after the accident.
The crash involved an Airbus A330 operating from Rio de Janeiro to Paris. The companies had said the accident occurred after the aircraft’s speed-measuring sensors iced over and malfunctioned.
In 2023, a lower court had ruled in favour of the two firms. Victims’ families challenged that decision before the appeals court.
In its verdict, the appeals court found Airbus and Air France responsible for causing death through negligence. The judges cited failure to address technical faults and shortcomings in pilot training as key factors behind the tragedy.
The court ordered compensation as a fine to the affected families, amounting to Rs 2.51 crore per family and totalling more than Rs 720 crore. Both Airbus and Air France have said they will appeal the decision in France’s top court.
