Airbus said it would appeal to France’s Court of Cassation after the Paris Court of Appeal convicted the aircraft manufacturer over the 2009 crash of Air France flight AF447, according to a company statement released Thursday.

The European aerospace group said it acknowledged the court’s ruling but disagreed with the judgment, arguing that it contradicted earlier conclusions by investigating judges and prosecutors who had previously recommended dismissal of the case.

In its statement, Airbus expressed “deepest sympathies and unwavering support” to the families and relatives of the 228 victims who died when Air France flight AF447 crashed into the Atlantic Ocean while travelling from Rio de Janeiro to Paris on June 1, 2009.

The company said it had consistently sought “to understand the facts, to seek the truth, to draw all necessary lessons, and to act responsibly to continue improving aviation safety.”

Airbus noted that the Paris Court of Appeal’s decision differed from the position taken by the public prosecutor’s office, the 2019 dismissal order issued by investigating magistrates, and the acquittal ruling delivered in 2023 during the first-instance trial.

“As a consequence, Airbus has decided to lodge an appeal with the Court of Cassation to allow for a judicial review of the legal questions raised by this case,” the company said.

The AF447 disaster remains one of the deadliest accidents in Air France’s history and prompted major reviews of pilot training, cockpit procedures, and airspeed sensor technology across the aviation industry.

Investigators previously concluded that the crash resulted from a combination of technical difficulties and pilot response after the aircraft’s pitot tubes — sensors used to measure airspeed — became obstructed by ice crystals during a storm over the Atlantic.

The legal proceedings surrounding the crash have drawn close attention from aviation regulators, industry analysts, and victims’ families, with questions focusing on the responsibilities of both Airbus and Air France regarding aircraft design, pilot training, and operational procedures.

Airbus stressed that flight safety remained its “absolute priority,” describing safety as central to the company’s identity, industrial operations, and aircraft development processes.

The Court of Cassation, France’s highest court for civil and criminal matters, will now examine whether the law was correctly applied in the appeal court’s ruling rather than reassessing the facts of the case.

The appeal process could extend the long-running legal battle linked to the crash, which has continued for nearly two decades since the accident occurred.

Source: Airbus PR