Boeing Faces DOJ Meeting Over 737 MAX Crashes Ahead of June Trial

The U.S. Department of Justice will meet virtually with families of victims from two Boeing 737 MAX crashes on Friday, ahead of a high-profile trial set for June 23. The crashes in 2018 and 2019 killed 346 people and led to a 20-month global grounding of Boeing’s bestselling aircraft.

The DOJ meeting, revealed in a letter reviewed by Reuters, offers families a chance to discuss the status of the case, although no updates were disclosed. Boeing declined to comment, and the Justice Department did not immediately respond.

Boeing is currently negotiating a revised plea agreement related to a criminal fraud case tied to the company’s alleged misrepresentations about the 737 MAX’s flight control system. CEO Kelly Ortberg expressed hope in April that a new deal would be finalized soon.

In July 2024, Boeing agreed to plead guilty to conspiracy to defraud the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and pay a fine of up to $487.2 million. The agreement also included $455 million in safety and compliance upgrades, a three-year probation period, and the appointment of an independent monitor. If finalized, the new plea deal would officially label Boeing as a convicted felon.

Victims’ families have criticized the deal as overly lenient, arguing it fails to hold Boeing fully accountable. The DOJ reopened the case in May 2024 after determining Boeing had violated a 2021 deferred prosecution agreement. The move followed an incident in January involving an Alaska Airlines 737 MAX 9 door panel blowout due to missing bolts.

Boeing also recently settled with two families from the 2019 Ethiopian Airlines crash, just before a scheduled trial, underscoring the mounting legal and reputational pressure on the aerospace giant.