Families of victims in two Boeing 737 Max crashes are outraged over a new settlement between the aerospace company and the US Justice Department. The agreement allows Boeing to avoid a criminal trial by paying $1.1 billion and implementing internal reforms.
Attorney Sanjiv Singh, who represents 16 families from the 2018 Indonesian crash, called the settlement morally repugnant and a way for Boeing to dodge full accountability. The deal includes $444.5 million to improve the company’s safety and compliance systems.
The crashes which occurred in 2018 and 2019 killed 346 people. Lion Air Flight 610 plunged into the Java Sea in October 2018, while Ethiopian Airlines Flight 302 crashed shortly after takeoff in March 2019.
Both tragedies were tied to the aircraft’s faculty flight control systems. If approved by a federal judge, the deal will dismiss Boeing’s criminal fraud charge. The company has already paid $243 million of a $487.2 million fine agreed upon in 2021.
That earlier settlement helped Boeing avoid prosecution for hiding safety information from regulators. However, US prosecutors argued last year that Boeing failed to fulfil its obligations under the 2021 deal.
They alleged that Boeing had not made adequate changes to detect and prevent violations of federal anti-fraud laws. Boeing later agreed to plead guilty to a felony fraud charge. Despite this, families have long pushed for a public trial and accountability from Boeing’s executives.
Singh criticized the financial penalties as inadequate, comparing the settlement to a mere parking ticket for a major crime. Boeing has stated it remains committed to improving safety and honoring the victim’s memories.
