A French appeals court has found Air France and aircraft manufacturer Airbus guilty of corporate manslaughter in connection with the 2009 crash of Air France Flight 447, which killed all 228 people on board during a journey from Rio de Janeiro to Paris.The ruling came after an eight-week trial and overturns a previous 2023 decision that had cleared both companies of criminal responsibility.The court concluded that the airline and manufacturer were “solely and entirely responsible” for the tragedy.The accident occurred when the Airbus A330 entered an aerodynamic stall during a severe storm over the Atlantic Ocean.Investigators determined that a combination of technical and human factors contributed to the crash.Ice accumulation temporarily disrupted the aircraft’s airspeed sensors, known as pitot tubes, which produced unreliable readings.This triggered the autopilot to disconnect, leaving the aircraft under manual control.In the confusion that followed, the co-pilots incorrectly responded to the situation by maintaining a nose-up attitude, worsening the stall.Investigators also found that the crew had insufficient training to properly recognize and recover from the stall condition.The court ordered both Air France and Airbus to pay the maximum possible fine of €225,000 each.However, the decision has sparked criticism from victims’ families, who argue that the penalty is symbolic given the scale of the loss of life.Both companies have denied wrongdoing and announced plans to appeal the verdict to a higher court.The case has reignited debate over aviation safety, pilot training standards, and manufacturer responsibility in complex modern flight systems.Since the crash, pilot training procedures have been revised and sensor systems have been improved to reduce the risk of similar incidents.