Relatives of eight victims of the Air France disaster in May this year are suing airplane manufacturer Airbus and a number of airplane parts manufacturers at two US courts.

The Air France Airbus crashed into the sea on 31 May on a flight from Rio de Janeiro to Paris. All 228 passengers and crew died.

An investigation into the disaster is ongoing. The initial findings indicate that weather sensors and other equipment on the plane were not working.

The plane's wreckage and black boxes with flight information have not been found. They are probably 4 kilometres under water at the bottom of the Atlantic Ocean.

The French authorities announced a new search last weekend.

Photo: Relatives of Airbus victims hear about the disaster - ANP