A federal judge in Texas on Thursday granted a U.S. Justice Department request to dismiss a criminal conspiracy charge against Boeing, stemming from two fatal 737 MAX crashes that together claimed 346 lives in 2018 and 2019.
Under the agreement that led to the dismissal, Boeing will pay or invest approximately USD 1.1 billion in fines, victim-compensation and internal safety improvements. A key point of contention: the deal allows Boeing to appoint its own compliance consultant instead of an independent monitor, a decision criticised by the judge.
The two crashes involved were the Lion Air Flight 610 disaster off Indonesia and the Ethiopian Airlines Flight 302 tragedy near Addis Ababa. Boeing’s automated flight-control system, known as MCAS, a component of the 737 MAX’s design, was implicated in both accidents.
Relatives of the victims expressed deep dismay at what they called a “lack of accountability”. More than 90 families are reportedly opposed to the deal and are considering appeal options.Boeing stated it will honour its part of the agreement, while the U.S. government defended the resolution as being in the public interest.
The case closes a long-running criminal legal process but leaves open civil litigation and regulatory oversight questions. With no criminal conviction, industry analysts say the aerospace giant may face reputational and competitive cost pressures rather than direct legal sanctions.
