Air France and Airbus cleared over fatal 2009 crash

The Airbus A380 operated by the French carrier on a Rio-Paris route stalled during a storm over the Atlantic Ocean. 

According to the BBC, the court said even if errors had been committed, a causal link between them and the crash could not be proved. 

Air France and Airbus had always denied the charges, for which they were facing a fine of around £200,000. The companies reportedly claimed "pilot error" was to blame for the crash. 

An investigation revealed the plane had encountered a high-altitude thunderstorm hours after departing and when air-speed sensors froze, the pilots "failed to follow correct procedure" and lost control of the plane before it plunged into the ocean.

The judge reportedly said there had been "several acts of negligence" by both companies, but there was not enough to hold either liable for the crash.