French court finds Airbus, Air France guilty in 2009 crash

A French court on Wednesday delivered a dramatic verdict against Airbus and Air ‌France over France's worst air disaster, ruling that both companies were guilty of corporate manslaughter in the 2009 Rio-Paris plane crash off Brazil.

Both companies have been ordered to pay the maximum fine of €225,000 ($260,971) each. 

More appeals are expected in the case.

What happened during the crash?

On June 1, 2009, Air France Flight 447 was traveling from Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, to Paris, France. The Airbus 330 crashed into the Atlantic Ocean at 2:14 am local time, killing all 228 passengers and crew aboard.

The Brazilian Navy was able to recover some wreckage in the immediate aftermath, but it wasn't until 2011 that French specialists were able to obtain the black box flight records from the ocean floor.

More to follow...