Boeing will pay $2.5 billion to settle charge over 737 Max

Boeing will pay $2.5 billion to settle a Justice Department investigation and admit that employees misled regulators about the safety of its 737 Max aircraft, which suffered two deadly crashes shortly after entering airline service.

The government and the company said on Jan. 7 that the settlement includes money for the crash victims' families, airline customers and a fine.

In Indonesia, the brother of two victims of the first Max 8 crash, Muhammad Rafi Ardian, 24, and Rian Ariandi, 24, said he hoped the case would be settled soon and that there would be no more crashes.

The two were among 189 who died on Oct. 29, 2018, when a Max operated by Indonesia's Lion Air plunged into the Java Sea.

"We are entering the third year now. So, it can lighten the psychological burden of the family after the legal process in the U.S. is finished, too," said Anton Sahadi.

"The prolonged mediation process was traumatizing," he said.

Prosecutors said Boeing employees gave misleading statements and half-truths about safety issues with the plane to the Federal Aviation Administration, then covered up their actions.

"Boeing's employees chose the path of profit over candor," said David Burns, acting assistant attorney general for the Justice Department's criminal division.

Boeing blamed two former pilots who helped determine how much training was needed for the Max. CEO David Calhoun said their conduct doesn't reflect Boeing employees as a whole or the character of the company.

"This is a substantial settlement of a very serious matter, and I firmly believe that entering into this resolution is the right thing for us to do, a step that appropriately acknowledges how we fell short of our values and expectations," Calhoun said...