Aircraft manufacturing major Boeing has agreed to plead guilty to criminal fraud conspiracy charge after the United States found the company to be violating a deal which meant to reform it, following two major crashes by its 737 Max planes.
The accidents had left 346 passengers and crew dead.
The (DoJ) said the plane-maker had also agreed to pay a criminal fine of $243.6m (£190m), reported BBC.
The families of the victims of the crash, however, criticised the deal and described it as ‘sweetheart’ since it would enable Boeing to avoid full responsibility for the deaths.
A US judge now needs to approve the settlement.
By pleading guilty, Boeing will avoid the spectacle of a criminal trial – something that victims’ families have been pressing for, reported BBC.
The premier aircraft manufacturing firm has been in crisis over the issue of safety since two identical crashes involving 737 Max aircraft in 2018 and 2019.
