Swiftair Faces Legal Backlash from AH5017 Crash Victims’ Families

Swiftair is facing renewed backlash from families of the victims of Air Algérie Flight AH5017 after the airline asked a French court to again refer legal questions to the Court of Justice of the European Union (CJEU). The move is seen by victims’ relatives as a tactic to delay the long-awaited trial over the 2014 crash, which killed all 116 people on board, including 54 French nationals.

The MD-83 aircraft, registered EC-LTV and operated by Swiftair, crashed in northern Mali while flying from Ouagadougou to Algiers on July 24, 2014. The aircraft was chartered by Air Algérie but owned and operated by Spain-based Swiftair.

A previous CJEU ruling in April 2025 dismissed an earlier request for guidance as inadmissible, though the Paris Criminal Court still retains the right to submit new legal questions. Swiftair’s renewed request has reignited anger among victims’ families, who accuse the airline of using legal loopholes to escape accountability.

In a statement issued on May 19, the victims’ advocacy group “Association AH5017-Ensemble” condemned the airline’s actions as disrespectful and obstructive. Their lawyer, Sébastien Buzy, stated that if the court denies Swiftair’s latest request, the trial could finally move forward by late 2026.

Swiftair was indicted in France in 2017 for involuntary homicide, while a separate investigation in Spain was closed in 2016 without charges. The airline argues it cannot be tried twice under EU law, but French courts have rejected that claim, saying the Spanish case lacked finality.

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Sources: AirGuide Business airguide.info, bing.com, ch-aviation.com