Boeing's Big Break: A Fine and a Free Pass

The Justice Department has struck a deal with Boeing. The company will not face prosecution for the two deadly crashes involving its 737 Max aircraft. This decision has sparked outrage among some families of the victims. The crashes, occurring in 2018 and 2019, resulted in the loss of 346 lives. Boeing's 737 Max models were grounded worldwide for nearly two years following the second crash. The agreement involves Boeing admitting to obstructing federal aviation officials and paying a hefty fine of $1. 1 billion. This deal allows Boeing to avoid a fraud trial that could have labeled the company a felon. The Justice Department claims it consulted with the families of the crash victims, with many either supporting or not opposing the deal. However, not all families are on board with this agreement. Some have strongly criticized it. Javier de Luis, who lost his sister in the 2019 crash in Ethiopia, expressed his anger. He believes this deal sends a dangerous message to companies, suggesting that safety can be compromised with minimal consequences. Paul Cassell, a lawyer representing the victims' relatives, hopes the court will reject the deal, calling it unprecedented and inappropriate for such a severe corporate crime. Boeing's 737 Max models were grounded globally for almost two years after the 2019 crash of a Ethiopian Airlines flight outside of Addis Ababa. All 157 people on board were killed. Five months before that, a 737 Max operated by Lion Air crashed into the Java Sea shortly after take-off from Jakarta, Indonesia. 189 people aboard were killed. Both crashes were linked to faulty flight control systems. The crashes led to fraud charges against a former top Boeing pilot, who was acquitted in 2022. In 2021, Boeing reached a settlement with prosecutors that protected it from prosecution for three years. However, federal prosecutors said Boeing violated that deal by failing to create and follow a compliance and ethics program aimed at detecting violations of US laws. A door panel flew off a 737 Max 9 operated by Alaska Airlines two days before the agreement had been set to expire. Last year, Boeing agreed to plead guilty to criminal fraud in a settlement to avoid trials, but the agreement was rejected by a federal judge. The Justice Department is expected to file a motion to dismiss the case by late next week once the agreement is finalized. Many victims' families have long pushed for a public trial and prosecution of former Boeing officials, and they have opposed attempts to drop the criminal case. Catherine Berthet, of France, whose 28-year-old daughter died in the Ethiopian Airlines crash said she was "absolutely stunned" by the DOJ's decision to grant Boeing a non-prosecution agreement.