The U.S. Department of Justice submitted a plea agreement with Boeing to a federal court on the 24th, in which Boeing admitted to “conspiracy to defraud” the U.S. government in the process of seeking airworthiness certification for its 737 MAX model, accepting a fine of $243.6 million.
The plea agreement was submitted to the Federal District Court in Texas, where Boeing admitted to providing “incomplete and inaccurate information” in a “dishonest manner,” deceiving the Federal Aviation Administration that was reviewing the aircraft.
In October 2018 and March 2019, Lion Air of Indonesia and Ethiopian Airlines flights successively suffered air crashes, with a total of 346 people killed, and the crashed aircraft were all Boeing 737 MAX model.
The families of the victims believe the punishment is too light. Lawyer Paul Castel said on the 24th: “The plea agreement contains all the issues that the families are worried about. We will strongly oppose the preferential treatment Boeing has received.”
Since the beginning of this year, the Boeing 737 MAX has been exposed to various safety issues. Currently, Boeing is facing operational crises and reputational damage, with significant adjustments in management.