Air France and Airbus found guilty of manslaughter over 2009 plane crash

Air France and Airbus found guilty of manslaughter over 2009 plane crashJust nowShareSaveAdd as preferred on GoogleBBCAir France and Airbus have been found guilty of manslaughter over a 2009 plane crash which killed 228 people.The Paris Appeals Court found the airline and aircraft manufacturer guilty of corporate manslaughter over the incident, in which flight AF447 between Rio de Janeiro and Paris crashed into the Atlantic Ocean.The passenger jet stalled during a storm and plunged into the water, killing all on board.A court had previously cleared the companies in April 2023 but they were found guilty after this appeal.Relatives of some of the passengers, which included mainly French, Brazilian and German nationals, gathered to hear the verdict on Wednesday.The companies have been asked to pay the maximum fine, €225,000 ($261,720; £194,500) each - but some of the victims' families have criticised the amount as a token penalty.This breaking news story is being updated and more details will be published shortly. Please refresh the page for the fullest version.You can receive Breaking News on a smartphone or tablet via the BBC News App. You can also follow @BBCBreaking on X to get the latest alerts.