© Reuters. FILE PHOTO: The Boeing logo is seen on the side of the Boeing 737 MAX at the Farnborough International Airshow, in Farnborough, Britain, July 20, 2022. REUTERS/Peter Cziborra
By David Shepardson
(Reuters) – Relatives of people killed in two deadly 737 MAX crashes asked a U.S. judge on Wednesday to appoint an independent panel to oversee Boeing (NYSE: ) Co’s pursuit of a suspended 2021 contract.
US District Judge Reed O’Connor last week ordered Boeing to appear in court Thursday in Fort Worth, Texas, to face criminal charges after the families of those killed in the 2018 and 2019 crashes objected to a $2.5 billion Justice Department settlement agreement. the 737 MAX scandal related to faulty aircraft design.
The accidents in Indonesia and Ethiopia, which cost Boeing more than $20 billion, put the best-selling plane on hold for 20 months and prompted lawmakers to issue replacement licenses for the plane.
The families want O’Connor to name an independent person to oversee Boeing’s compliance; placing an order prohibiting Boeing from engaging in new violence; and to be as transparent as possible about Boeing’s compliance efforts starting in 2021.
“An independent inspector – a second pair of eyes – can begin to restore confidence in Boeing and ensure the safety of the community,” the families said.
Boeing did not immediately comment but Chief Executive Dave Calhoun told CNBC on Wednesday that the pilot did not object to the criticism and expressed his condolences to the families. He added that their views “are a good reminder .. of how important security is to all of us.”
The plane maker is expected to plead not guilty on Thursday as is the case in pending cases. The Department of Justice in 2021 agreed to drop the case after a three-year agreement if Boeing complies.
O’Connor ruled in October that the people killed in the two Boeing 737 MAX crashes are legally considered “victims”.
More than a dozen relatives of the victims are scheduled to speak at Thursday’s hearing. The family said in the memo that Boeing “committed the deadliest crime in US history.”
Boeing and the Justice Department oppose reopening the delayed settlement, which includes $500 million in restitution to victims, $243.6 million in fines and $1.7 billion in restitution to the airline.
