Aircraft giant Boeing has reached a deal to plead guilty to fraud in the United States after prosecutors determined the company violated a deferred prosecution agreement related to two fatal crashes of the 737 Max jetliner. Under the agreement, Boeing will pay a $243.6 million fine for misleading aviation regulators about software in the 737 Max that contributed to crashes in 2018 and 2019, killing 346 people.
In addition to the fine, Boeing will invest $455 million in compliance safety programs and appoint an independent compliance monitor while serving three years of “organizational probation.” The deal is subject to approval by US District Judge Reed O’Connor, who will allow families of the crash victims to file objections within seven days.
Boeing stated that it will continue to work transparently with regulators to strengthen safety, quality, and compliance programs. The agreement follows a previous breach of an immunity deal with the Department of Justice in 2021, where Boeing paid $2.5 billion in fines and restitution but failed to improve compliance and ethics programs.
Despite the plea agreement, families of the crash victims have opposed the deal, calling for harsher punishment for Boeing and criminal charges against current and former executives. The company is also facing a separate criminal probe related to a midair blowout of an Alaska Airlines-operated Boeing 737 Max 9 in March. The outcome of the plea deal will depend on court approval in the coming weeks.
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