(Washington) Families of Boeing 737 MAX crash victims asked the US Department of Justice on Wednesday that the manufacturer be fined some $24.8 billion and that those responsible be brought to justice.
The day before, Boeing boss Dave Calhoun had recognized the “seriousness” of the situation concerning the quality of the manufacturer’s production, assuring before a US Senate commission of inquiry that progress had already been made.
Sitting behind him in the audience were relatives of the victims of the Boeing 737 MAX 8 crashes of the Indonesian company Lion Air in 2018 and Ethiopian Airlines in 2019 (346 deaths in total), who held up photos of the missing.
“Since Boeing’s crime is the deadliest corporate crime in U.S. history, a maximum fine of more than $24 billion is legally justified and clearly appropriate,” wrote Paul Cassell, the representative for families of the victims, in a letter addressed to the American Department of Justice and consulted by AFP.
32 pages long, the letter details the calculations made to arrive at this sum, specifying that “14 to 22 billion dollars of the fine could be suspended on the condition that Boeing dedicates these funds to an independent monitor and to improvements related to compliance and security programs.
For many months, Boeing has been experiencing production and quality problems with its 737 MAX, 787 Dreamliner, and 777 commercial aircraft.
Several audits and investigations have identified numerous “non-compliance” issues and deficiencies, particularly in quality control.
At the end of May, the aircraft manufacturer submitted a “comprehensive action plan”, required by the aviation regulator (FAA), to remedy these problems. The stakes are high because the group is threatened with criminal charges in federal court in Texas.
According to the US Department of Justice, Boeing “did not comply with its obligations” under a so-called deferred prosecution agreement (DPA) linked to these accidents, concluded on January 7, 2021 with a three-year surveillance period. .
The aircraft manufacturer claims to have complied with the agreement. The ministry must decide, before July 7, whether to continue or not.
“The families continue to believe that the appropriate course of action now is to initiate prompt criminal proceedings against Boeing,” said Paul Cassell in his letter Wednesday, calling for a trial within 70 days of the July 7 deadline. .