Boeing to Avoid Criminal Trial in U.S. Deal Over Fatal 737 Max Crashes

Boeing will not face a criminal trial over the two deadly crashes involving its 737 Max aircraft, under a proposed agreement with the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) that will see the aerospace giant avoid prosecution in exchange for admitting wrongdoing and paying over $1.1 billion in fines.

The deal, revealed in a court filing on Friday, allows Boeing to resolve allegations that it misled federal aviation regulators without going to trial. The charges stem from the 2018 and 2019 crashes of Lion Air and Ethiopian Airlines flights, which together claimed 346 lives and led to a nearly two-year global grounding of the 737 Max.

As part of the agreement, Boeing will admit to conspiring to obstruct an investigation by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and commit to strengthening its internal compliance and ethics protocols. The company has yet to comment publicly on the deal, and the DOJ also declined to respond to press inquiries.

The Justice Department said it consulted with victims’ families, noting that while many either supported or did not oppose the deal, others strongly objected. Several relatives expressed outrage that Boeing would avoid trial, describing the outcome as unjust.

“This is a sweetheart deal,” said Robert Clifford, a lawyer representing some of the victims’ families. “It denies accountability and justice for hundreds of lives lost.”

Among the most vocal critics is Catherine Berthet of France, who lost her 28-year-old daughter Camille in the Ethiopian Airlines crash. “I am absolutely stunned,” she said. “The government has blind faith in Boeing – to the point of letting it get away with the murder of 346 people.”

The crashes were both linked to a faulty flight control system known as MCAS, which pilots were not adequately informed about. In response, Boeing faced widespread scrutiny, regulatory investigations, and lawsuits. A former Boeing pilot was charged with fraud in 2021 but was acquitted the following year.

In 2021, Boeing reached a deferred prosecution agreement during the final days of the Trump administration, insulating it from prosecution for three years. Prosecutors now say Boeing violated that agreement by failing to implement a sufficient anti-fraud program. The situation was further complicated when, just days before the initial agreement was due to expire, a panel blew off a Boeing 737 Max 9 operated by Alaska Airlines mid-flight – raising fresh concerns about safety and quality control.

A previous attempt by the DOJ to settle the case last year was blocked by a federal judge, who raised concerns about how an independent monitor would be selected to oversee Boeing’s compliance, citing issues related to diversity, equity, and inclusion policies.

The Justice Department said it expects to file a motion to dismiss the case next week, once the agreement is finalized. In court filings, it described the outcome as offering “further accountability” and “substantial benefits” while avoiding the uncertainty and risks of a trial.

For many families of the victims, however, the outcome remains deeply unsatisfying. Their long-standing calls for a public trial and the prosecution of senior Boeing executives remain unanswered.