On Thursday, January 26th, Boeing pleaded not guilty to fraud conspiracy felony charges surrounding the two 737 MAX crashes. The hearing is the first time Boeing has had to answer any criminal charge in a public court regarding the 2018 and 2019 MAX disasters. Boeing was ordered to attend the hearing following a recent court ruling that classifies the victims of the disasters as 'crime victims.'

Not-guilty plea

The Chief Safety Officer of Boeing, Mike Delaney, submitted the not-guilty plea. It came at the end of a three-hour hearing that US District Judge Reed O'Connor ordered Boeing to attend. The hearing is a part of a new trial that is unaffiliated with past trials.

Boeing 737 MAX 8
Photo: Boeing

In a statement regarding the felony charge, Boeing stated that it has taken the necessary precautions to ensure that such accidents will never happen again and will comply with its agreement with the US Department of Justice (DOJ) two years ago. The statement reads,

"(Boeing) made broad and deep changes across our company, and made changes to the design of the 737 MAX to ensure that accidents like these never happen again. We also are committed to continuing to comply scrupulously with all of our obligations under the agreement we entered into with the Justice Department two years ago."

UPDATE: 2023/01/30 06:23 EST BY RILEY PICKETT

Boeing Update

A spokesperson for Boeing told Simple Flying the following concerning the hearing,

“We are deeply sorry to all who lost loved ones on Lion Air Flight 610 and Ethiopian Flight 302, and greatly respect those who expressed their views at the hearing today. We will never forget the lives lost in these accidents and their memory drives us every day to uphold our responsibility to all who depend on the safety of our products. We have made broad and deep changes across our company, and made changes to the design of the 737 MAX to ensure that accidents like these never happen again. We also are committed to continuing to comply scrupulously with all of our obligations under the agreement we entered into with the Justice Department two years ago.”

Read the latest Boeing news here.

Opposing argument

Ever since the disasters occurred, countless individuals and organizations have fought vigorously for retribution, hoping that Boeing would be held accountable for these actions. These efforts continue today and were seen during the Thursday hearing, which was attended by many of the victim's relatives, some of whom had the chance to speak during the hearing.

Boeing 737 MAX 8 Silhouette airplane
Photo: Boeing

Some of the crash victims' families have requested that Judge O'Connor name an independent monitor who will oversee and ensure Boeing's compliance, publicly disclose all of Boeing's corporate safety compliance efforts adopted since 2021, and impose a standard of condition requiring that Boeing not commit any new crimes. The families have stated that an independent monitor will be needed to restore confidence in Boeing, saying that,

"Only an independent monitor – the proverbial second set of eyes – can begin to restore confidence in Boeing and ensure safety of the community,"

Judge O'Connor imposed the standard condition that Boeing commits no new crimes but has not yet made any ruling concerning the other requests from the victims' families. Since the felony charge was brought against Boeing, it has continuously reaffirmed its commitment to safety and the terms it agreed upon with the Justice Department in 2021.

That arrangement required that Boeing comply with and implement many new safety standards to prevent similar disasters from occurring again. It also required Boeing to pay $2.5 billion in retributions.

Victims' families have shared how the agreement between Boeing and the DOJ is inadequate retribution. One of the victim's family members, Naoise Connolly Ryan, stated,

"The deal between Boeing and the Department of Justice is not justice."

In a filing, the families said,

"(Boeing) committed the deadliest corporate crime in U.S. history."

The future of the court hearing is uncertain as further prosecution may require additional involvement from the DOJ. What is certain is that the families of the disaster victims and those supporting them will continue to keep fighting while Boeing continues to reaffirm its commitment to safety and create new ways to further the safety of aviation.

What do you think of Boeing's plea? Let us know in the comments below.

Source: Reuters, Bloomberg Law, The Strait Times

  • 787-8 Dreamliner
    Boeing
    Stock Code:
    BA
    Date Founded:
    1916-07-15
    CEO:
    Dave Calhoun
    Headquarters Location:
    Chicago, USA
    Key Product Lines:
    Boeing 737, Boeing 747, Boeing 757, Boeing 767, Boeing 777, Boeing 787
    Business Type:
    Planemaker