Get the latest tech news
You Want to Fix Boeing? Prosecute Its Executives
A $500 million fine isn’t enough for a company that murdered 346 people, Joe Nocera argues.
Late Sunday night, faced with the possibility of a trial, Boeing agreed to a settlement offered by the Department of Justice, pleading guilty to a felony for the two 737 Max crashes in 2018 and 2019 that caused the death of 346 passengers and crew. Back in 2021, Boeing accepted a deferred prosecution agreement with the Justice Department that called for it to pay $2.5 billion, including a criminal fine, money for the victims’ families, and compensation to its airline customers. Even that amount wasn’t enough to cause Boeing to change its ways: in January 2024, a door blew out of a 737 Max in flight, proving that safety was still not a top priority on the factory floor.
Or read this on Hacker News
