Four former airline officials have formally denied charges relating to the deaths of 119 people in the crash of a Cypriot passenger jet four years ago.
The trial over the crash of a Helios Airways Boeing 737-300 in Greece in August 2005 opened Thursday in a Nicosia criminal court, but was adjourned until Nov. 27 to give the defense lawyers time to prepare.
Each defendant pleaded not guilty to 119 counts of manslaughter and causing death by recklessness. If convicted, they face a maximum life sentence.
The defendants are former Helios chief executive Andreas Drakos, managing director Demetris Pantazis, chief pilot Ianko Stoimenov and operations director George Kikides. The now-defunct Cypriot airline as a legal entity has also been charged.
The plane crashed into a hillside north of Athens, killing everyone on board. An investigation found that a loss of cabin pressure knocked out the pilots just after takeoff from Larnaca in Cyprus and the plane flew on autopilot until the fuel ran out.
Greek investigators blamed the pilots for allegedly failing to heed a warning over loss of pressure.
The prosecution contends that the defendants failed to prevent the aircraft being flown by "unsuitable and inadequate" pilots.
Cypriot Attorney General Petros Clerides has said that a criminal case launched in Greece against 4 Helios officials _ three of whom are also being tried in Cyprus _ will not affect the trial.
The defendants will remain free on bail.
