Boeing Co. will not face criminal charges over two fatal 737 Max crashes after a federal judge in Texas approved a settlement requiring the aircraft manufacturer to pay $1.1 billion in fines and compensation to the families of the victims. US District Judge Reed O’Connor in Fort Worth granted a request from the Justice Department to dismiss its criminal case and endorsed a non-prosecution agreement between the parties, Reuters reported.
The decision resolves Boeing’s long-running legal battle over a criminal conspiracy charge stemming from the crashes of Lion Air Flight 610 in October 2018 and Ethiopian Airlines Flight 302 in March 2019, which together killed 346 people. Investigations revealed that both accidents were linked to a flawed flight control system on the 737 Max, leading to widespread scrutiny of Boeing’s safety practices.
Under the agreement, Boeing will pay substantial fines and provide compensation to the victims’ families, while avoiding criminal liability, effectively closing one of the most significant legal challenges in the company’s recent history. The settlement marks a major step toward accountability for the tragic crashes and underscores the US government’s efforts to address corporate negligence in aviation safety.
