Families of victims killed in two Boeing 737 Max crashes have demanded a £24bn fine after it emerged the company may avoid prosecution. The US Department of Justice is considering a non-prosecution agreement, which would not require Boeing to plead guilty to fraud charges linked to the disasters that killed 346 people.
Relatives were told of the proposal during a tense call with senior justice department officials on Friday. They described the plan as 'morally repugnant' and expressed outrage at the prospect of Boeing escaping criminal liability. The crashes involved Lion Air flight 610 in October 2018 and Ethiopian Airlines flight 302 in March 2019.
Boeing had previously agreed to plead guilty to criminal fraud conspiracy and pay a fine of up to $487.2m under the Biden administration, but a Texas judge rejected the deal in December over a diversity provision. The case has now passed to the Trump administration, which has overhauled the justice department.
Sanjiv Singh, counsel for 16 families, said: 'We are appalled by this sudden possible retreat from criminal prosecution of Boeing. A non-prosecution agreement is morally repugnant and lacks the teeth and bite to cause fundamental change in Boeing's safety practices.'
Boeing declined to comment on the matter, while the justice department did not respond to a request for comment. The tentative deal was first reported by Reuters.
