The US prosecutors have recommended the country’s Department of Justice (DoJ) to bring criminal charges against Boeing. It follows a claim by the DoJ that the aircraft manufacturer had violated a settlement related to two fatal crashes involving its 737 Max aircraft, which killed 346 people, reported BBC.
The department has time till July 7 to make the final decision on the prosecution.
The recommendation is not a final decision and the details of any potential criminal action are not known, according to CBS, the BBC’s US partner.
“This is a really critical decision that is coming up,” said Ed Pierson, who is the executive director of the Foundation for Aviation Safety and a former senior manager at Boeing.
He told the BBC’s Radio 4 Today programme: “There are issues with these aeroplanes. We’re seeing problems with these planes and I’m talking about 737 Max, 787 and it is reflective of the leadership.”
The plane crashes which involved Boeing’s 737 Max aircraft occurred within a span of six months.
The crashes involve Indonesia’s Lion Air, which occurred in October 2018, and an Ethiopian Airlines flight in March 2019.