Boeing and the Department of Justice (DOJ) have arranged a preliminary deal aimed at sparing prosecution over the fatal 737 Max crashes.

Boeing and the Department of Justice (DOJ) have arranged a preliminary deal aimed at sparing prosecution over the fatal 737 Max crashes.

Boeing has reached a preliminary agreement with the Department of Justice to sidestep prosecution in the investigation surrounding the two fatal 737 Max crashes. This agreement, decided in May 2025, supersedes a prior one that was dismissed by a federal judge in December 2024, citing issues with equity and inclusion policies.

The deal, which is contingent on approval from a judge in the Northern District of Texas, requires Boeing to pay over $1.1 billion. Funds will be allocated for crash victims' families, improved compliance, safety, and quality programs, and fines. Specifically, Boeing will set aside $444.5 million for the families of the deceased, $455 million for enhancing its safety and quality programs, and pay an additional fine of $243.6 million.

Under the terms of the agreement, Boeing will admit to conspiring to hinder the Federal Aviation Administration Aircraft Evaluation Group's lawful operations. The deal enables Boeing to avoid criminal prosecution and the scheduled trial in June 2025, with the DOJ planning to file a motion to dismiss the case once finalized.

However, the agreement faces opposition from families of the crash victims, who believe it to be excessive and inadequate. Lawyers representing these families have expressed their intention to persuade the judge to reject the agreement.

Two 737 Max crashes that occurred in 2018 and 2019 resulted in the deaths of 346 people. The first crash claimed the lives of all 189 passengers and crew onboard a Lion Air jet in Jakarta, Indonesia. Data from the plane's black boxes indicated the pilots battled to counteract the malfunctioning safety system from takeoff to the crash. The second crash killed 157 people aboard a Boeing aircraft over Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, minutes after takeoff.

The initial plea agreement over the crashes was rejected by U.S. District Judge Reed O'Connor in December 2024, due to concerns over government DEI policies affecting the selection of an independent compliance monitor for Boeing. The aircraft manufacturing giant had agreed to plead guilty to conspiracy to defraud the U.S. government and pay a fine of at least $243 million under that deal.

1. The business sector, specifically Boeing, has been entangled in a controversy related to the 737 Max crashes, with the conflict extending into the realm of politics, as the Department of Justice had to renegotiate a plea deal due to concerns about equity and inclusion policies.
2. The international finance community is following the unfolding events closely, as Boeing, once again, is on the verge of reaching a settlement, this time worth over $1.1 billion, to avoid criminal prosecution in connection to the crashes that took place in 2018 and 2019.
3. In the realm of crime and justice, Boeing has agreed to admit to conspiring to hinder the Federal Aviation Administration Aircraft Evaluation Group's lawful operations, a move that has sparked outrage among the families of the crash victims, who find the agreement excessive and inadequate.
4. The general news, both domestic and international, is abuzz with discussions about Boeing's preliminary agreement with the Department of Justice regarding the 737 Max crashes, an agreement that, if approved, will see funds allocated for victims' families, safety programs, and fines, totaling over $1.1 billion.

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