Families of those killed in the Boeing 737 MAX tragedy on Wednesday requested that US authorities pursue criminal charges against the airline and fine the company up to $24.8 billion.
The action was taken the day after Boeing CEO Dave Calhoun told a US Senate subcommittee that the business was making progress on the issue and acknowledged the “gravity” of the company’s safety issues.
Family members of those who perished in the 2018 and 2019 Boeing 737 MAX 8 crashes were seated behind him in the crowd and held up pictures of the deceased.
“Because Boeing’s crime is the deadliest corporate crime in US history, a maximum fine of more than $24 billion is legally justified and clearly appropriate,” Paul Cassell, a lawyer for the families, wrote in a letter to the US Department of Justice.
The 32-page document explains the calculations behind the amount sought, saying Boeing “should be fined the maximum — $24,780,000,000 — with perhaps $14,000,000,000 to $22,000,0000,000 of the fine suspended on the condition that Boeing devote those suspended funds to an independent corporate monitor and related improvements in compliance and safety programs as identified below.”
It added: “And Boeing’s Board of Directors should be ordered to meet with the families.”
The families also think that “criminal prosecutions of the responsible corporate officials at Boeing at the time of the two crashes” should begin right now by the government.
The case pertains to crashes that occurred in Ethiopia and Indonesia in 2018 and 2019, which combined killed 346 lives. It also comes at a time when Boeing is under increased scrutiny due to recent manufacturing and safety issues.
Following an incident on January 5 in which an Alaska Airlines 737 MAX was forced to make an emergency landing due to a fuselage panel blowing off mid-flight, the aviation giant has once again gained public attention.
