Boeing 737 MAX crashes | Victims’ families seek nearly $25 billion in fines

(Washington) Families of Boeing 737 MAX crash victims asked the US Department of Justice on Wednesday that the manufacturer be fined some $24.8 billion and that those responsible be brought to justice.

The day before, Boeing boss Dave Calhoun had recognized the “seriousness” of the situation regarding the quality of the manufacturer’s production, assuring before a US Senate commission of inquiry that progress had already been made.

Sitting behind him in the audience were relatives of the victims of the Boeing 737 MAX 8 crashes of the Indonesian company Lion Air in 2018 and Ethiopian Airlines in 2019 (346 deaths in total), who held up photos of the missing.

“Since Boeing’s crime is the deadliest corporate crime in U.S. history, a maximum fine of more than $24 billion is legally justified and clearly appropriate,” wrote US Representative Paul Cassell. families of the victims, in a letter addressed to the American Department of Justice and consulted by AFP.

32 pages long, the letter details the calculations made to arrive at this sum, specifying that “$14 to $22 billion of the fine could be suspended on the condition that Boeing dedicates these funds to an independent monitor and improvements related to compliance and security programs.”

For many months, Boeing has had production and quality problems with its 737 MAX, 787 Dreamliner, and 777 commercial aircraft.

At the end of May, the aircraft manufacturer submitted a “comprehensive action plan”, required by the aviation regulator (FAA), to remedy these problems. The stakes are high, as the group is threatened with criminal charges in federal court in Texas.

According to the US Department of Justice, Boeing “failed to comply with its obligations” under a so-called deferred prosecution agreement (DPA) linked to these accidents, concluded on January 7, 2021 with a three-year monitoring period. .

The aircraft manufacturer claims to have complied with the agreement. The ministry must decide before July 7 whether to proceed.

“The families continue to believe that the appropriate course of action now is to pursue prompt criminal charges against Boeing,” Paul Cassell said in his letter Wednesday, calling for a trial within 70 days of the July 7 deadline. .