"Today's verdict is the first chapter in this process, " the statement from Pearl's parents, wife, and sisters said.

CNN: Pearl killer calls for uprising

"This is an exciting new chapter in our history as, for the first time, we will be flying directly between continental Europe and the US, " British Airways' chief executive Willie Walsh said in a statement on the BA.com Web site.

CNN: British Airways subsidiary launches transatlantic service

"This is the first time that we've had a complete chapter in the human instruction book, and that's pretty amazing, " said Dr Francis Collins, from the US National Institutes of Health and who chairs the HGP.

BBC: Book of life: Chapter one