The U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) has reached a settlement with Boeing that allows the company to avoid criminal prosecution in relation to two fatal 737 MAX crashes that claimed the lives of 346 people. As part of the agreement, Boeing has agreed to pay more than $1.1 billion in penalties and compensation.
Within this amount, the company plans to allocate an additional $455 million to strengthen its safety, quality, and compliance programs, along with compensation and penalties to the victims’ families. An additional $444.5 million will be transferred to a fund created to distribute payments equally among the families of the victims.
In a statement released on Friday, the DOJ said, “Boeing must further enhance its compliance and ethics programs aimed at preventing fraud and work with an independent compliance monitor.” The department emphasized that this resolution delivers both justice and practical benefits.
With this settlement, Boeing avoids being classified as a convicted felon. However, this outcome has caused significant disappointment among the families who lost their loved ones.
