(New York) The aircraft manufacturer Boeing must respond by Thursday at the latest to the Department of Justice, which warned in mid-May of a risk of criminal prosecution for non-compliance with an agreement reached after two crashes that left 346 dead.
The Bloomberg agency reported late Wednesday that Boeing had sent its response during the day, denying any violation.
In the process, the manufacturer refused to make any comments regarding its communications with the Department of Justice (DOJ), specifying “to continue to dialogue in full transparency” with it.
The agreement concluded in 2021 provides, among other things, that Boeing strengthens its compliance program, but the aircraft manufacturer has been increasing production and quality control problems since the beginning of 2023.
A subject which will undoubtedly be addressed during a hearing Thursday morning in the American Senate by the head of the civil aviation regulator (FAA).
Mike Whitaker, in office since October 2023, must indeed – by coincidence – be heard by the Committee on Commerce and Transportation concerning the supervision of the aeronautics sector and, in particular, of Boeing.
The aircraft manufacturer has been surrounded on all sides since the in-flight incident on an Alaska Airlines 737 MAX 9 on January 5, in which a cap holder – a cover blocking a redundant emergency exit – came loose.
One case too many, which triggered audits and investigations by regulators, justice, and parliamentary committees. This work identified non-compliance issues in production and quality control deficiencies.
Accused of fraud in the certification process of the 737 MAX – its flagship aircraft – Boeing agreed to pay $2.5 billion.
In addition, the group committed to strengthening its compliance program, meeting regularly with those responsible for combating fraud and presenting annual reports on its progress.
The agreement provided for this surveillance to expire after three years. Or January 7, 2024.
The Justice Department then had six months to decide whether to prosecute.
The families of victims of the two accidents – due to a design problem – have been clamoring for them since the very beginning, and even more so since the manufacturer’s series of setbacks.
Received on May 31 at the Department of Justice in Washington, they expressed their “great fears” that he would opt for a guilty plea agreement with Boeing, according to a statement from their lawyers.
“We are awaiting from the department … a plan to prosecute conspiracy and other related charges. During this meeting, the families charged the Department of Justice to fulfill its mission of providing justice to the general public,” they continued.
“A simple amicable transaction without sanctions would not fulfill this mission,” they warned, demanding that a trial be opened within the legal 70 days following July 7.
The Justice Department, which did not respond to AFP’s requests for comment, promised in May to communicate its decision to the Texas court by that date at the latest.
Contacted by AFP, Boeing simply referred to its statements of May 14: “We believe we have honored the conditions of this agreement.”
Appointed CEO in early 2020 to help turn things around after the crashes, Mr Calhoun has been swept up in the current crisis and is due to step down by the end of the year.
The presentation of the second quarter results, scheduled for the end of July, should not be a cakewalk.
Its financial director Brian West warned at the end of May that the group no longer anticipated generating cash in 2024.
Another difficult meeting: the American Transportation Safety Agency (NTSB) has scheduled a so-called investigative hearing for August 6 and 7 concerning Alaska Airlines Flight 1282. According to his preliminary report, several cap holder attachment bolts were missing.
