Boeing reaches deal to avoid prosecution over 737 Max crashes

The United States Justice Department has reached a deal with Boeing that will allow the company to avoid criminal prosecution for allegedly misleading US regulators about the 737 Max jetliner before two of the planes crashed and killed 346 people, according to court papers filed on Friday.

The Justice Department said in a court filing that it had reached an “agreement in principle” that will require the company to pay and invest more than US$1.1 billion. In return, the department will dismiss the criminal case against the aircraft manufacturer. The deal still needs to be finalised.

“The agreement guarantees further accountability and substantial benefits from Boeing immediately, while avoiding the uncertainty and litigation risk presented by proceeding to trial,” Justice Department lawyers wrote in court papers.

Paul Cassell, a lawyer for many of the families in the long-running case, had previously said his clients strongly oppose dropping the criminal case.

“Dismissing the case would dishonour the memories of 346 victims who Boeing killed through its callous lies,” Cassell said in a recent statement.

Many relatives of the passengers who died in the crashes, which took place off the coast of Indonesia and in Ethiopia less than five months apart in 2018 and 2019, have spent years pushing for a public trial, the prosecution of former company officials, and more severe financial punishment for Boeing.