Air travel

Boeing: Lawyer for Families of Crash Victims Slams Deal to Avoid Prosecution

Published JUN 5 2025

Story

Above: Digital screens display the Boeing logo and the flag of Qatar in Ankara, Turkey on May 14, 2025. Image credit: Dilara Irem Sancar/Contributor/Anadolu via Getty Images

The Facts

A lawyer representing families of deceased victims from a Boeing plane crash on Wednesday criticized a deal between the aviation giant and the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) that would see the firm avoid prosecution over the incident.
BBC News
Guardian
Sanjiv Singh, who represents 16 families from the 2018 crash that killed all 189 people on board off the coast of Indonesia, told the BBC that the deal was "morally repugnant" and that it allowed Boeing to "sidestep true criminal accountability." A second crash in Ethiopia months later, linked to the same faulty control system, killed a further 159 people.
BBC News
Guardian
Following the crashes and two years of investigation, Boeing agreed to pay $2.5 billion — including $2.2 billion of compensation to the families of the victims — as part of a 2021 deal that would see it avoid a charge of attempting to defraud the U.S. if further violations were not reported within three years.
Guardian
BBC News
CNBC
However, in July last year, U.S. prosecutors recommended that the DOJ bring charges after a door panel flew off during an Alaska Airlines flight that January, accusing Boeing of violating the deferred prosecution agreement.
Simple Flying
BBC News
Singh's comments on Wednesday came after Boeing made a filing with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission that included its latest non-prosecution agreement with the DOJ.
SEC
BBC News
It confirmed earlier court filings in which it was revealed Boeing would pay $1.1 billion in fines in addition to $445 million of compensation to the victims' families. It still needs approval from a federal judge before it can proceed.
www.ft.com
Guardian

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The Spin

Pro-establishment narrative

Nothing can make up for the loss of life, but after reviewing the facts, the DOJ believes that making Boeing pay fines and compensation, as well as making it invest in its safety practices, is the most just and practical result, ensuring that the safety of travelers increases.

The Associated Press

Establishment-critical narrative

This deal between Boeing and the DOJ is morally repugnant as it deprives the families of those who died of any meaningful justice, including holding those responsible to account for the planes going down in the first place.

Seattletimes