Families of the people who died on the flights five years ago have criticised it as a "sweetheart deal".

Boeing has agreed to plead guilty to a criminal fraud conspiracy charge after the US found the company violated a deal meant to reform it after two fatal crashes by its 737 Max planes that killed 346 passengers and crew.

The Department of Justice (DoJ) said the plane-maker had also agreed to pay a criminal fine of $243.6m (£190m).

However, the families of the people who died on the flights five years ago have criticised it as a “sweetheart deal” that would allow Boeing to avoid full responsibility for the deaths. One called it an “atrocious abomination”.

The settlement must now be approved by a US judge.

  • Pandantic [they/them]@midwest.socialEnglish
    22·
    4 months ago

    The article title should be “Boeing pays slightly more than one day’s revenue for the negligence that lead to 346 deaths”. This is ridiculous, just a slap on the wrist.

    • AwkwardLookMonkeyPuppet@lemmy.worldEnglish
      9·
      4 months ago

      If corporations are people, then the people responsible for the choices like this one need to be held accountable. No freedom of speech without accountability.

  • fuzzyspudkiss@midwest.socialEnglish
    17·
    4 months ago

    Boeing’s gross profit last year was $7.7B USD. If you make $50k a year, that would be a fine of $15 for killing multiple people.

  • PythagreousTitties@lemm.eeEnglish
    14·
    4 months ago

    Boeing’s decision to plead guilty is still a significant black mark for the firm because it means that the company - which is a prominent military contractor for the US government - now has a criminal record.

    This is such a a farse it’s ridiculous. Prosecutors are asking to fine the company 24 billion. This 243 million plea deal is crap.
    The company and people in charge of it should be fined at the very least.

  • Verdant Banana@lemmy.world
    92·
    4 months ago

    anyone else off just one person on the streets and it is a lifetime sentence in a zoo

    think of that story The Last Capitalist at lot more these days

  • satanmat@lemmy.world
    7·
    4 months ago

    “And then children, Boeing was taken away and never heard from again. A whole new company took over building all the aircraft, and it ran with safety as its first priority rather than seeking profit, and every one flew happily ever after…”

  • gasgiant@lemmy.ml
    6·
    4 months ago

    So they’ve pleaded guilty to lying about meeting the terms of last time they were found guilty and have paid a small fine. Which is almost certainly far less than the cost of complying for 3 years would have been.

    Well obviously they will have learnt their lesson and this time they’ll certainly comply…

  • ninja@lemmy.worldEnglish
    4·
    4 months ago

    Boeing pays less than the cost of 2 airplanes for being responsible for the crash of 2 airplanes.