Airbus is staunchly defending itself after being put under judicial investigation in the wake of the loss of an Air France aircraft over the South Atlantic nearly two years ago.

The aircraft, an Airbus A330-200, crashed into the sea while operating the Rio de Janeiro to Paris Charles de Gaulle route in June 2009.

Airbus confirms that it has been "placed under investigation" by magistrates in relation to the destruction of flight AF447.

"On behalf of Airbus, I have noted the absence of facts supporting this step and stated our strong disagreement," says Airbus chief Tom Enders.

"Airbus maintains that the focus should be on finding the cause of this accident and making sure it can never happen again."

Renewed efforts to locate the wreckage and flight recorders from the missing aircraft are set to start in the next few days.

Enders says: "Airbus will continue to support the investigation, including the continued search for the flight recorders, which is the only sure way to know the truth."

Source: Air Transport Intelligence news