Swiftair Found Guilty Over 2014 Air Algérie Crash That Killed 116

Families of the 116 people killed in the 2014 Air Algérie crash have welcomed a Paris court’s decision to find Spanish airline Swiftair guilty of involuntary manslaughter.

The airline was fined €225,000 ($256,000; £193,000) on Monday, the maximum financial penalty available for the offence.

The verdict brings an end to a lengthy legal process that began more than 12 years after Flight AH5017 crashed in northern Mali.

Families describe verdict as relief after years of waiting

For relatives of those who died, the ruling represents a significant moment after years of uncertainty.

Sandrine Tricot, whose husband Frederic was among those killed, said the families had endured 4,449 days of waiting for a verdict.

“The amount of money was never the end goal. We are relieved that justice has finally been delivered,” she told the BBC.

Tricot, who leads the French national federation for victims of terrorist attacks and collective accidents, said no financial penalty could compensate families for the loss of their loved ones.

She also acknowledged the difficulties involved in bringing together relatives from different countries, including Algeria and Burkina Faso.

Court points to training failures

The court found that shortcomings in Swiftair’s training had “certainly contributed to the accident”, establishing the basis for the criminal conviction.

The ruling focused on the airline’s responsibilities in relation to the aircraft and its crew, rather than attributing the disaster simply to the severe weather conditions encountered during the flight.

Swiftair has rejected the findings of the French investigation, with its defence team describing the case as “a botched job”.

The airline has 10 days to appeal the verdict.

How Flight AH5017 crashed

The McDonnell Douglas MD-83 involved in the disaster was owned by Swiftair and leased to Air Algérie, with Swiftair providing the crew.

Flight AH5017 departed Ouagadougou in Burkina Faso on 24 July 2014, bound for Algiers.

The aircraft was travelling through a storm over the semi-arid Sahel region when the crash occurred in northern Mali, south of the Sahara.

Investigators determined that the aircraft’s anti-icing system had not been activated.

Ice crystals subsequently accumulated on pressure sensors, affecting the information being supplied to the aircraft’s systems. The resulting chain of events led to an automatic reduction in engine power before the aircraft crashed.

All 116 people aboard died.

Victims came from several countries

The passengers and crew represented several nationalities, with 54 French citizens and 23 Burkinabè nationals among those killed.

Lebanese and Algerian passengers were also on board, alongside six Spanish crew members.

The international nature of the tragedy meant that families across several countries were affected by the crash and its lengthy legal aftermath.

Nathalie Police, who lost her 65-year-old father Didier and 18-year-old half-brother Nicolas, attended the entire four-week trial in Paris.

She joined Tricot outside the court after Monday’s verdict.

Trial took place more than a decade after disaster

The French proceedings finally opened in March, more than 12 years after the aircraft went down.

The length of time between the crash and the trial has been a major part of the families’ experience, with relatives having to wait years for the criminal proceedings to reach a conclusion.

Tricot said the conviction was significant because it recognised criminal responsibility for what happened.

“The conviction is an important step towards recognising criminal responsibility for the disaster,” she said.

Lawyers welcome conviction and additional costs

Sébastien Busy, a lawyer representing most of the victims, described the verdict as a relief for the families.

He said Swiftair would also be required to cover legal costs, which could exceed the €225,000 criminal fine imposed by the court.

The ruling is not necessarily the final stage of the case, however, as Swiftair retains the right to appeal within 10 days.

Spanish investigation previously ended without charges

The French verdict comes after authorities in Spain previously closed their own investigation into the crash without bringing charges.

The Paris court’s decision therefore represents the first criminal conviction against Swiftair in connection with the disaster.

For the families, the ruling provides a formal finding of responsibility after more than a decade of waiting, although the verdict cannot undo the loss suffered by the victims’ relatives.