Boeing officially off the hook for criminal charges in deadly crashes that killed 346 people

Thomson Reuters

· Posted: Nov 06, 2025 11:42 AM EST | Last Updated: November 6

A U.S. justice connected Thursday approved a petition by the Justice Department to disregard a transgression lawsuit against Boeing stemming from 2 fatal 737 MAX level crashes that killed 346 radical including 18 Canadians.

However, Judge Reed O'Connor, of the U.S. District Court successful Fort Worth, Texas, said helium disagreed with the Justice Department that dismissing the lawsuit is successful the nationalist involvement but said helium did not person authorization to cull the decision. He added the government's woody with Boeing "fails to unafraid the indispensable accountability to guarantee the information of the flying public."

Boeing said successful a connection it volition honour the obligations of its agreement.

"We are besides committed to continuing the important efforts we person made arsenic a institution to fortify our safety, quality, and compliance programs," it added.

In September, O'Connor held a three-hour proceeding to see objections to the deal, questioning the government's determination to driblet a request that Boeing look oversight from an autarkic show for 3 years and alternatively prosecute a compliance consultant.

He heard anguished objections from relatives of immoderate of those killed successful the crashes successful Indonesia successful 2018 and Ethiopia successful 2019 to the non-prosecution agreement.

Ahead of that hearing, Toronto autochthonal Chris Moore successful a connection characterized the non-prosecution arsenic a "ludicrous plea bargain." Moore's big girl Danielle was among 18 Canadian citizens and 149 passengers killed erstwhile the Max 8 level bound for Nairobi crashed soon pursuing takeoff from the Ethiopian superior of Addis Ababa successful January 2019.

Moore said the woody shielded "the affluent and almighty astatine the disbursal of life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness for the people."

There were nary Canadians among the 181 passengers who died successful the October 2018 clang connected a home formation wrong Indonesia. Sixteen unit members successful each besides died successful the Indonesia and Ethiopia disasters.

Judge captious of the deal

O'Connor connected Thursday said the government's presumption is "Boeing committed crimes capable to warrant prosecution, failed to remedy its fraudulent behaviour connected its ain during the (deferred prosecution agreement) which justified a blameworthy plea and the imposition of an autarkic monitor, but present Boeing volition remedy that unsafe civilization by retaining a advisor of its ain choosing."

O'Connor said the families were close successful asserting that "this statement fails to unafraid the indispensable accountability to guarantee the information of the flying public."

The authorities argued Boeing has improved and the Federal Aviation Administration is providing enhanced oversight.

WATCH | Families conflict for accountability amid respective Boeing incidents:

Boeing and the authorities argued O'Connor had nary prime but to disregard the case.

O'Connor said successful 2023 that "Boeing's transgression whitethorn decently beryllium considered the deadliest firm transgression successful U.S. history," and it appeared astatine 1 constituent past twelvemonth the institution mightiness look charges.

Under the non-prosecution deal, Boeing agreed to wage an further $444.5 US cardinal into a clang victims' money to beryllium divided evenly per unfortunate of the 2 fatal 737 MAX crashes, connected apical of a caller $243.6 cardinal good and implicit $455 cardinal to fortify the company's compliance, safety, and prime programs.

Boeing has negotiated pre-trial settlements successful astir of the dozens of wrongful decease lawsuits filed aft the Ethiopian crash, including with Canadian Paul Njoroge. The Toronto nonmigratory mislaid his wife, 3 children and mother-in-law successful the crash.

Details of the settlements were confidential and not disclosed.

Lawyers accidental little than a twelve lawsuits stay unresolved, though 1 proceedings began this week.

An eight-person assemblage successful Chicago is to measure damages related to the the decease of rider Shikha Garg, a United Nations consultant. Unless a colony is reached first, the sheet volition determine compensation for matters specified arsenic burial expenses, nonaccomplishment of income, and grief suffered by contiguous household members.

In September, the FAA projected fining Boeing $3.1 cardinal for a bid of information violations, including actions tied to the Alaska Airlines 737 MAX 9 mid-air exigency successful January 2024, and for interfering with information officials' independence.