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AH5017: Memory and Justice

Twelve years after the crash of Air Algérie flight AH5017, the memory of the 116 victims remains at the heart of this case. On September 28, 2026, the Paris Criminal Court found Swiftair guilty of involuntary manslaughter and imposed a €225,000 fine, the maximum penalty available.

Air Algérie, commercial carrier for flight AH5017

July 24, 2014

On the night of July 24, 2014, flight AH5017, marketed by Air Algérie between Ouagadougou and Algiers within an ACMI contract, crashed near Gossi in northern Mali. Swiftair supplied the MD-83 EC-LTV, crew, maintenance and insurance and operated the flight under its own certificate. All 116 people on board died.

Twelve years of waiting

Released on April 22, 2016, the final report of the Malian safety investigation, conducted with BEA assistance, described the probable obstruction by ice crystals of engine pressure sensors located on the engine nose cones, reduced thrust, and a stall from which the aircraft was not recovered. Swiftair was indicted in 2017 for involuntary manslaughter.

The trial was postponed several times while questions of jurisdiction and appeals were examined by French and European courts.

The trial (March 2026)

Swiftair’s involuntary manslaughter trial was held before the Paris Criminal Court from March 9 to 26, 2026. The hearings examined crew training and the possible link between the alleged failings and the accident. The prosecution requested a €225,000 fine, presented as the maximum penalty available in these proceedings. The defence pleaded for acquittal.

The September 28, 2026 judgment

On September 28, 2026, the Paris Criminal Court found Swiftair guilty of involuntary manslaughter and fined the airline €225,000, the maximum penalty available.

According to consistent reports by Reuters, France 24 and EFE, the court identified shortcomings in the crew’s training and recurrent preparation that contributed to the accident. The full judgment was not found in the public sources reviewed as of September 29, 2026, so the detailed legal reasoning must be checked against the complete decision when it becomes available.

Remembrance, every July 24

Since 2014, the memory of the 116 victims has been honoured in France, Burkina Faso, Mali and Spain. Places of remembrance have been created: the plaque at the Gossi site, the Alley of the 116 Victims at Parc de Bercy in Paris, the memorial at Ouagadougou airport, and the plaque at Madrid-Barajas airport. Every July 24, families and loved ones gather there.

AH5017 memorial in Parc de Bercy, Paris: view the Google listing

Reference sources

The BEA hosts the official safety investigation file and final report, whose purpose is not to determine liability. The judgment is documented here through three consistent journalistic reports published on September 28, 2026.

BEA / Commission d’enquête du Mali
Dossier officiel de l’accident du MD-83 EC-LTV
Open source
BEA / Commission d’enquête du Mali
Rapport final de l’enquête de sécurité, 22 avril 2016
Open source
Reuters
French court finds Swiftair guilty of corporate manslaughter over Mali crash
Open source
EFE
Francia condena a 225.000 euros de multa a la compañía española Swiftair
Open source
France 24
Crash du vol Ouagadougou-Alger en 2014 : la compagnie Swiftair condamnée
Open source

"In eternal memory of 116 souls of Air Algérie flight 5017"

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