NY.- Boeing’s announcement Sunday that it had agreed to plead guilty to a federal criminal charge as part of a deal it made with the Justice Department was the culmination of a yearlong crisis involving the company’s 737 Max aircraft.
The settlement could help Boeing put to rest the federal case stemming from two fatal 737 Max crashes in 2018 and 2019.
But the deal is not the end of that saga and may have little impact on other issues, including questions about the company’s production quality that were highlighted when a panel broke off a Max jet during a flight in January.
What is expected to happen next?
Boeing and the Justice Department first reached a settlement in 2021 over two accidents that allowed the company to avoid criminal charges.
But federal prosecutors this year said the company violated the terms of that agreement and reached a new one, which was finalized Sunday.
Under the latest deal, Boeing could plead guilty to conspiring to defraud the federal government.
The company could also agree to independent monitoring, a three-year probationary period and additional financial penalties.
That includes a $487.2 million fine, half of which could be forgiven because of Boeing’s initial fine payments.
However, that agreement is not yet official.
A formal settlement is expected to be filed in federal court in the coming days and the judge presiding over the case will review the agreement, which is strongly opposed by many of the families of those killed in the two crashes.
If the judge rules in favor of the families, Boeing and the Justice Department will have to reach a new agreement.
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