U.S. prosecutors are suggesting that Boeing should face criminal charges for violating a settlement agreement related to two fatal plane crashes. The Department of Justice has until July 7 to make a final decision on whether to move forward with the charges. The settlement agreement was reached in 2021 after crashes in Indonesia and Ethiopia involving Boeing 737 Max planes, which were found to have faulty software causing the nose of the planes to pitch down uncontrollably.
Following the crashes, it was revealed that Boeing employees had expressed concerns about the safety of the newer planes, with one employee even stating they wouldn’t let their family members fly on a Max simulator trained aircraft. In addition to the crashes, Boeing made headlines earlier this year when a door plug fell off an Alaska Airlines flight, leading the FBI to send letters to passengers potentially affected by the incident.
The Department of Justice announced last month that Boeing had violated the terms of the settlement, which included a $2.5 billion penalty for fraud committed against the Federal Aviation Administration. The New York Times had previously reported that Boeing might face a deferred prosecution agreement with increased compliance checks and a larger fine, but the recent Reuters report suggests otherwise.
Despite the uncertainty surrounding the potential criminal charges, the reputation of Boeing has taken a hit in recent years, with the company going from a symbol of quality craftsmanship to being associated with dangerous products. Late-night hosts and social media users have regularly mocked Boeing, and there are even websites where passengers can check if their flight will be operated by a Boeing aircraft.
Boeing CEO Dave Calhoun announced his eventual departure in March but testified at congressional hearings in June, apologizing to the families of those killed in the crashes. The company has yet to respond to inquiries about the potential criminal charges. As the situation unfolds, it remains to be seen how Boeing will navigate its way through the legal challenges and public scrutiny it currently faces.
