The court found Airbus negligent for not replacing certain pitot tube models prone to icing and for withholding information, while Air France mishandled communication to pilots, but no direct causal link to the 2009 crash was established.

Both companies were acquitted of criminal charges in the initial 2023 trial but recognized civil liability, with the court citing negligence and imprudence without definitive proof of causation.

A new trial is underway to thoroughly examine evidence, including the companies' responses to sensor issues and pilot training, amid ongoing debates about their responsibilities.

Many victims' families, including 281 out of 489 civil parties, have joined the appeal, seeking acknowledgment of criminal responsibility after years of legal proceedings and personal grief.

The upcoming trial is emotionally significant for victims' families, who protested the earlier verdict and are seeking justice, with statements from Airbus and Air France CEOs expected during the proceedings.

Prosecutors, initially requesting charges be dropped, appealed to fully explore legal options; if convicted, the companies could face fines of 225,000 euros and reputational damage.

The appellate court is reviewing whether there is a causal relationship between the companies' faults and the crash, with the trial scheduled to run until November 27, 2025, at the Paris Palace of Justice.

The AF447 disaster prompted significant changes in aviation safety, focusing on Airbus's response to sensor problems and Air France's pilot training, amid ongoing debates.

Victims' families, especially from Brazil, expressed outrage at the initial acquittal, and the flight recorders were recovered nearly two years after the crash from the ocean depths.

The trial will examine whether Air France sufficiently trained pilots to handle sensor freezing and aircraft decoupling, which contributed to the crash.

The 2009 crash of flight AF447 from Rio de Janeiro to Paris resulted in 228 fatalities, after the Airbus A330's pitot tubes were blocked by ice, causing faulty speed readings and loss of control.

Both Airbus and Air France were previously acquitted of involuntary manslaughter in 2023, but families and prosecutors appealed, seeking further legal accountability.