Boeing’s admission of fraud after the 737 Max plane disaster

Boeing pleaded guilty to conspiracy to defraud the United States after the US Department of Justice confirmed that Boeing failed to comply with an agreement after two 737 Max crashes.

According to the RT report, according to the preliminary agreement, Boeing faces a criminal fine that could reach 487.2 million dollars, which is the maximum fine allowed under the law. However, the actual amount of the fine will be determined by the judge. 

Boeing will appoint a corporate watchdog and is required to spend at least $455 million to support its compliance and safety programs over the next three years, and the company will also be under judicial supervision during those three years.

The US Department of Justice announced last May that Boeing had abandoned an agreement to delay prosecution until 2021 related to the plane crash that occurred in the final days of the Trump administration. The company notified prosecutors last June that it disagreed with their ruling that it had breached the earlier agreement.

As part of the 2021 settlement, Boeing paid $243.6 million in fines and admitted it misled the Federal Aviation Administration about the mysterious flight control system linked to the tragic accidents. It also pledged to improve its internal safety procedures. On the other hand, the government will withdraw the criminal charge against this company after 3 years, and this decision provoked strong criticism from the families of the victims.

Boeing 737 Max has been in the center of news many times in recent years of air accidents, the last of which happened in January 2024. At that time, the cabin door of one of these planes belonging to Alaska Airlines was separated in the middle of the flight. After this incident, the US Civil Aviation Regulatory Agency suspended the operation of 171 of the 218 737 MAX aircraft.

Translator: Mina Azimi