Boeing in talks with US Department of Justice to resolve charges over safety lapses
Boeing Co. is in talks with the US Justice Department to resolve potential charges stemming from two fatal crashes of its 737 Max jetliners, according to people familiar with the negotiations.
The settlement could be announced as soon as next week and is expected to include imposing a corporate monitor on the world’s second-largest planemaker, according to the people, who asked not to be identified disclosing confidential discussions. DOJ prosecutors want to bring charges against Boeing, but it isn’t clear if the company will agree to plead guilty, the people said.
The talks center on the 2021 deferred-prosecution agreement struck between Boeing and the DOJ in the waning days of the Trump Administration, after two crashes that killed 346 people. Some family members of the victims have urged the government to file criminal charges, which could help them bring lawsuits against the company.
A resolution of the government’s case would represent a step forward for Boeing as it addresses quality lapses in its factories and tougher scrutiny from regulators, lawmakers and customers. If a deal is reached, the crisis is far from over. The US continues to investigate the in-flight blowout of a fuselage panel on an Alaska Airlines 737 Max 9 jet in January, and a grand jury in Seattle could bring additional charges.
A Boeing spokesman declined to comment, as did the DOJ.
Boeing’s executive suite is in turmoil as its board searches for a new chief executive officer. The company’s finances are also showing the strain of a
