This first hearing was short, just over two hours, Monday, October 10. It took place in the largest room of the Paris courthouse, a room with light wood whose benches are almost filled with relatives of the victims. About fifty of them are present, of which a certain number wear headphones on the ears to have the debates translated. There are Germans, Canadians, Brazilians, in total, 32 nationalities are represented.
>> Rio-Paris flight crash: three questions about the trial of Airbus and Air France, which opens thirteen years after the tragedy
All come to attend the hearing with the desire that Air France and Airbus take their responsibilities, without a spirit of revenge, but determined. To support them, psychologists from I’association “Paris helps victims” are present. The first minutes have already been very intense, with the reading, for almost ten minutes and in total silence, of the 228 names of the victims by the president and her assessors.
The two representatives of Airbus and Air France took the floor. The statement by Guillaume Faury, the CEO of Airbus, was particularly Mark the spirits. After Anne Rigail, CEO of Air France, he expressed his “deep respect“, “his deep consideration” for the victims in a weak voice. He is immediately cut off by a relative of the victims: “It’s a shame ! Shame on you !“, he launches, in the middle of a courtroom which freezes in an instant.
The president intervenes, but the anger of this man is great. With tears in his eyes, he speaks again:We’ve been waiting for this moment for 14 years, so don’t talk to us about consideration“, he insists. Imperturbable, Guillaume Faury picks up where he left off, to bring up this consideration again. He brings figures and says again that Airbus does not recognize its responsibility.
At the end of the hearing, the civil parties are angry, like Martine Lamy, who lost his nephew in the crash. “Hearing the names of the 228 people who died, who never came back… There was never respect until now, these victims did not exist. He took 13 years to hear the 228 names, that’s all I have to say“, she confides.
The boss of Airbus will not return on Tuesday October 11, just like the general manager of Air France. The relatives of the victims will be there to listen to the director of investigation for a day devoted to the search for the plane, which crashed in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean. The trial will last two months.