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- 346 people died in two Boeing 737 Max crashes in 2018 and 2019.
- The DoJ will meet with victims’ families as it considers a criminal probe into Boeing.
- Boeing agreed to pay $2.5 billion to settle charges in 2021, but January’s blowout has renewed scrutiny.
The families of those who died in Boeing 737 Max crashes will meet with officials from the Justice Department.
It comes as federal prosecutors consider whether to proceed with criminal charges against Boeing in the wake of the Alaska Airlines blowout.
Bob Clifford, an attorney representing the families of victims of the 2019 Ethiopian Airlines crash, confirmed the news in an email to Business Insider.
Last month, the FBI sent letters warning passengers of the blowout flight that they may be victims of a crime.
The possibility of criminal charges against Boeing would occur alongside an investigation into whether Boeing violated the terms of an agreement it made with the Justice Department back in 2021
That came after 346 people died in two crashes involving the Max in 2018 and 2019.
The manufacturer reached a deferred prosecution agreement (DPA) with the Justice Department in 2021 — agreeing to pay $2.5 billion and promising to strengthen its compliance program.
But January’s blowout has prosecutors questioning whether Boeing has abided by all the settlement terms.
In its preliminary report, the National Transportation Safety Board said the Alaska Airlines 737 Max had left Boeing’s factory missing key bolts designed to secure the door plug that came off.
The DPA expired two days after the blowout, and the Justice Department has until July 7 to decide whether Boeing violated it.
“The Max 8 families strongly believe that recent events, such as the Alaska Airlines midair door plug blowout in January, demonstrate Boeing’s lack of compliance with the DPA,” Clifford said in the email.
Paul Cassell, a law professor at the University of Utah helping represent victims’ families, told The Seattle Times: “The families are going to point out what I think has become pretty obvious: Boeing did not seriously follow the obligations it made through the [agreement].”
The Seattle Times reports the meeting will take place on April 24.
Boeing did not immediately respond to a request for comment from BI.
