Boeing has been dealt a major legal setback as a judge ruled that the aerospace giant will face trial over two devastating plane crashes that claimed the lives of 346 people.
This decision marks a dramatic twist in a case that seemed headed for a settlement, throwing Boeing’s legal strategy into uncertainty.
The aviation giant had previously reached a plea deal with the Justice Department in July 2024, under then-President Joe Biden’s administration.
The deal included a hefty $487.2 million fine and a three-year probation period with external oversight.
However, Judge Reed O’Connor rejected the agreement, citing concerns over a diversity, equity, and inclusion clause.
He gave both sides until April 2025 to renegotiate, setting the stage for further legal wrangling.
Boeing’s Gamble Backfires
According to a report from The Wall Street Journal, Boeing had been exploring ways to abandon the plea deal altogether, hoping for more lenient terms under the newly appointed Justice Department officials in President Trump’s administration.
But the company’s maneuvering hit a roadblock when Judge O’Connor, instead of allowing renegotiation, made the unexpected decision to set a trial date for June.
This development leaves Boeing in a difficult position.
It must now either plead guilty in open court or prepare to defend itself against charges it had previously admitted to during settlement negotiations.
The stakes couldn’t be higher for the company, as a conviction could bring further reputational and financial damage.
Families of Crash Victims Demand Justice
The legal battle revolves around two tragic crashes involving Boeing’s best-selling aircraft, the 737 Max Jetliner.
These incidents, occurring just five months apart in late 2018 and early 2019, led to the deaths of 346 passengers and crew members—one off the coast of Indonesia and another in Ethiopia.
For years, families of the victims have been calling for a tougher stance against Boeing, arguing that the plea deal was nothing more than a “sweetheart deal” that let the company off too easily.
Many have demanded a full public trial and criminal prosecution of former Boeing executives.
Attorney Erin Applebaum, who represents 34 families of victims from the Ethiopian Airlines crash, issued a strong statement urging the Justice Department to take a stand.
“The families deserve their day in court, and this opportunity for justice must not be squandered,” she said, calling for an end to any further plea negotiations.
Boeing’s Criminal Liability Under Scrutiny
One of the most damning aspects of this case is Boeing’s alleged deception regarding the 737 Max’s flight control software.
The rejected plea deal would have labeled Boeing as a convicted felon for conspiring to mislead the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) about critical flaws in the aircraft’s safety systems.
In 2023, Judge O’Connor made a stark declaration, calling Boeing’s crime “the deadliest corporate crime in U.S. history.”
The company’s troubles deepened in May 2024 when the Department of Justice found that Boeing had violated a 2021 agreement that had previously shielded it from prosecution.
This violation led prosecutors to push forward with criminal charges and the now-collapsed plea deal.
What’s Next for Boeing?
The Trump administration has made it clear that regulators need to take a firm stance on Boeing following its repeated failures.
Yet, the Department of Justice has remained tight-lipped about its next moves, declining to comment on the judge’s latest decision.
Boeing, too, has remained vague, issuing a statement that provided little insight into its strategy.
“As stated in the parties’ recent filings, Boeing and the Department of Justice continue to be engaged in good faith discussions regarding an appropriate resolution of this matter,” the company said.
With a trial now looming, Boeing faces a reckoning that could reshape its future.
Whether it chooses to fight the charges or seeks a last-minute settlement, one thing is certain—the families of the victims, regulators, and the public will be watching closely to see if justice is truly served.