116 Victims of Air Algérie Flight 5017 : In Memoriam

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People gather at the Air Algérie office in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso, after the crash announcement : July 2014

The Shock of the Announcement

Families and close ones gather at the Air Algérie office in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso, seeking information about flight AH5017. In the hours following the disappearance of the aircraft, the anguish and despair of those awaiting news of their loved ones was immeasurable.

Photo: July 2014, Ouagadougou

Who were they?

On July 24, 2014, 116 people lost their lives in the crash of flight AH5017.

Entire families, children, grandparents, business professionals, tourists discovering Algeria.

Each victim had their own story, dreams, and plans. They leave behind grieving families who fight for the truth.

Their memory reminds us that behind every air tragedy lie unique and irreplaceable human lives.

Illustration representing some victims of flight AH5017

Illustration représentant quelques victimes

Commemorations

Since July 2014, several official ceremonies and moments of remembrance have honored the memory of the 116 victims of Air Algérie flight AH5017. These commemorations, organized in France, Burkina Faso, Mali and Spain, demonstrate the commitment of authorities and families to perpetuate the memory of their loved ones who died in the crash of flight AH5017.

Do you know of other tributes paid in other countries or cities?

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21 April 2015•Gossi (Mali)

Memorial ceremony

First visit by the families to the crash site near Gossi, with logistical support from French and Malian forces. The families gathered in front of a stele that had "visibly been erected recently". The erection of a stele at the crash site had been announced on 26 July 2014 by the French President, after he received the families of the French victims at the Foreign Ministry.

Sources: RFI, 22/04/2015 ; Africa Radio / AFP, 21/04/2015 ; La Croix / AFP, 27/07/2014 ; RFI, 26/07/2014

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22 April 2015•Ouagadougou (Burkina Faso)

Memorial ceremony

Laying of the foundation stone of a stele in memory of the victims of flight AH5017 in Ouagadougou, which family representatives were due to attend according to RFI.

Sources: RFI, 22/04/2015

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24 July 2018•Ouagadougou (Burkina Faso)

Memorial inauguration

Inauguration by the President of Burkina Faso of the stele built by the Burkinabè government in tribute to the victims, in the Cité An II district: a book weighing eight tonnes and a dove weighing nine tonnes.

Sources: Lefaso.net, 25/07/2018 ; FENVAC, 27/07/2019

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17 February 2019•Madrid-Barajas (Spain)

Memorial inauguration

Unveiling of a plaque in memory of the victims in the outdoor gardens of Terminal 2 at Madrid-Barajas airport, at the initiative of the families of the six crew members. The plaque bears the names of the crew.

Sources: Aviación Digital, 13/02/2019 ; Última Hora, 17/02/2019

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2019•Paris, Parc de Bercy

Memorial inauguration

With the support of the City of Paris, a path in the Parc de Bercy was named "Allée des 116 victimes du vol AH5017 du 24 juillet 2014". The fifth commemoration of the crash was held there in July 2019; the families have gathered there every year since.

Sources: FENVAC, 27/07/2019 ; FENVAC, 24/07/2024

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24 July 2024•Paris and Ouagadougou

Memorial ceremony

Tenth anniversary. In Paris, no commemoration in the Parc de Bercy in July because of the Olympic Games; a ceremony is announced for 26 October 2024. In Burkina Faso, the victims’ families association AFAVIC announces that the activities planned for 24 July 2024 are postponed.

Sources: FENVAC, 24/07/2024 ; Lefaso.net, 23/07/2024

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23 July 2025•Ouagadougou (Burkina Faso)

Memorial ceremony

On the eve of the eleventh anniversary, the victims’ families association thanks the Burkinabè Ministry of Infrastructure for paving the access road to the memorial stele.

Sources: Wakat Séra, 23/07/2025

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24 July 2026•Paris

Memorial ceremony

Twelfth anniversary, the first since the opening of Swiftair’s trial for involuntary manslaughter before the Paris criminal court on 9 March 2026. The first-instance judgment was delivered on 28 September 2026; the court’s press release is dated 29 September 2026.

Sources: Le Parisien, 09/03/2026 ; 20 Minutes / AFP, 28/09/2026 ; Tribunal judiciaire de Paris, communiqué de presse, 29/09/2026

Memorial sites

Historical archives - July 28, 2014

Remembrance space created at Ouagadougou airport in the aftermath of the crash to gather families and honor the memory of the victims.

July 28, 2014 - Tribute to AH5017 passengers at Ouagadougou airport - Victim photos laid on the ground

Victim photos laid in tribute

July 28, 2014 - Tribute to AH5017 passengers at Ouagadougou airport - Remembrance ceremony

Family remembrance ceremony

Spontaneous memorial with flowers and photos

Memorial for victims of Air Algérie AH 5017 crash

Peace dove statue

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Memorial for victims of Air Algérie AH 5017 crash

Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso

Stele built by the Burkinabè government in tribute to the victims of flight AH5017, in the Cité An II district of Ouagadougou: a book weighing eight tonnes and a dove weighing nine tonnes. Foundation stone laid on 22 April 2015; inaugurated on 24 July 2018 by the President of Burkina Faso.

Sources: RFI, 22/04/2015 ; Lefaso.net, 25/07/2018

Coordinates: 12.3714° N, 1.5197° W

View on maps

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Avenue of the 116 victims of flight AH 5017

Paris, Parc de Bercy, France

Path in the Parc de Bercy named in 2019 "Allée des 116 victimes du vol AH5017 du 24 juillet 2014", with the support of the City of Paris. The families gather there every year to commemorate the crash.

Sources: FENVAC, 27/07/2019 ; FENVAC, 24/07/2024

Coordinates: 48.8387° N, 2.3780° E

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

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Crash site stele, Gossi

Gossi, Mali

Stele in memory of the victims at the crash site, near Gossi. Its erection was announced on 26 July 2014; during the families’ first visit to the site, on 21 April 2015, it had "visibly been erected recently".

Sources: La Croix / AFP, 27/07/2014 ; Africa Radio / AFP, 21/04/2015 ; RFI, 22/04/2015

Coordinates: 15.0539° N, 1.5575° W

View on maps

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Madrid-Barajas airport commemorative plaque

Madrid-Barajas Airport, Spain

Plaque unveiled on 17 February 2019 in the outdoor gardens of Terminal 2 at Madrid-Barajas airport, at the initiative of the families of the six crew members; it bears the names of the crew.

Sources: Aviación Digital, 13/02/2019 ; Última Hora, 17/02/2019

Coordinates: 40.4983° N, 3.5676° W

View on maps

116 lives

The 116 victims of flight AH5017, 110 passengers and 6 Spanish crew members from Swiftair, came from many countries, reflecting the diversity of routes connecting Africa, Europe, and the Middle East. Each of these lives was unique, precious, and irreplaceable.

Breakdown by nationality

French nationals (dual nationals included)

28 / 23

Burkinabè (depending on the source, see note)

Lebanese

Algerians

Spanish crew members

Method note on the counts

Toll: 116 people died, 110 passengers and 6 crew members (final report, p. 7). French nationals: 54, dual nationals included, the figure used by the Court of Justice of the European Union (paragraph 9) and announced by the French Foreign Minister on 25 July 2014. The figure of 51, announced on 24 July 2014, was raised to 54 the next day by counting dual nationals.

Nationalities: 15 when each person is counted under a single nationality (Air Algérie press release no. 04); on 25 July 2014 the French Foreign Minister stated that the non-French victims came from 14 nationalities. Burkinabè: 28 according to Air Algérie press release no. 04, 23 according to other counts published by the press in 2014 and 2026; the method behind this difference is not documented. Lebanese: 6. Algerians: 6. Spanish crew members: 6.

Time: the crash occurred at about 01:47 UTC according to the final report (p. 7). The time of 01:55 GMT, sometimes quoted, is the loss of contact announced by Air Algérie on 24 July 2014.

Other nationalities according to Air Algérie press release no. 04 (one nationality per person): Canadian (5), German (4), Luxembourgish (2), Belgian (1), British (1), Cameroonian (1), Egyptian (1), Malian (1), Nigerian (1), Swiss (1).

Sources: Rapport final de la Commission d’enquête du Mali, assistée du BEA (réf. ec-v140724), p. 7, 22/04/2016 ; Cour de justice de l’Union européenne, arrêt C-701/23, point 9, 03/04/2025 ; Air Algérie, communiqué n°04 (archive Wayback du 28/07/2014), 28/07/2014 ; Le Figaro, direct du 24 au 26 juillet 2014 (déclaration du ministre des Affaires étrangères), 25/07/2014 ; 20 Minutes / AFP, 28/09/2026

Out of respect for the families, this site does not publish a list of the victims’ names.

Families, students, professionals

Among the passengers were entire families travelling for vacation, students returning from studies in Burkina Faso, humanitarian workers, business professionals, and diplomats. Many were French-Burkinabè dual nationals travelling to visit family. The youngest victim was an infant; the oldest was over 80 years old. Several families lost multiple members in the tragedy.

Memorial sites

Four places of remembrance are described below, each with its sources:

Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso: a stele inaugurated on 24 July 2018 (foundation stone laid on 22 April 2015).
Gossi, Mali: a stele at the crash site.
Paris, France: a path in the Parc de Bercy, where the families gather every year.
Madrid-Barajas, Spain: a plaque unveiled on 17 February 2019.

Sources for the counts: see the method note above.

Tribute

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

On July 24, 2014, Air Algérie flight AH5017 crashed near Gossi, Mali. All 116 passengers and crew members, 110 passengers and 6 Spanish Swiftair crew, lost their lives in this tragedy.

Each life lost was unique, precious and irreplaceable. Their memory lives on in the hearts of those who loved them.

12 years: memory & justice|AH5017 crash technical analysis|Swiftair trial proceedings|Complete chronology

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