Families of victims of the Boeing 737 MAX plane crashes called on the US authorities on Wednesday to impose a fine of up to $24.8 billion on the giant airline and to proceed with the criminal prosecution of its officials.
This step comes a day after Boeing CEO Dave Calhoun admitted that there were “serious” safety problems facing the company, despite his reassurance from a US Congressional committee that progress had been made in this area.
The congressional hearing was attended by relatives of victims who died in the crashes of Boeing 737 MAX 8 aircraft in 2018 and 2019, and they uploaded pictures of them.
“Given that Boeing is the deadliest corporate crime in U.S. history, a maximum fine of more than $24 billion is legally justified and unequivocally appropriate,” Paul Cassel, the families’ attorney, wrote in a letter to the US Department of Justice.
The letter explains the calculation behind the requested amount, so that Boeing will be fined the maximum amount of about 24.8 billion dollars, with between 14 and 22 billion dollars of the fine suspended on the condition that Boeing allocates it to a special company monitor and improvements related to safety programs.
“An order should be issued requiring the Boeing Board of Directors to meet with the families,” the letter added.
The families also believe the government should “immediately launch criminal prosecutions against Boeing executives at the time of the incidents.”
The case relates to two accidents that occurred in 2018 and 2019 in Indonesia and Ethiopia, which together killed 346 people, and comes at a time when Boeing is facing intense scrutiny following problems related to manufacturing and safety.
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