A federal judge in Texas has dismissed a criminal conspiracy charge against Boeing related to two deadly 737 Max jetliner crashes that claimed 346 lives. On Thursday (November 6), U.S. District Judge Reed O’Connor approved the federal government's request to dismiss the case as part of a deal requiring Boeing to pay or invest an additional $1.1 billion. This amount will cover fines, compensation for the victims' families, and improvements in internal safety and quality measures.

The decision follows an emotional hearing in September where relatives of the victims urged the judge to reject the deal and appoint a special prosecutor. The crashes occurred off the coast of Indonesia and in Ethiopia in 2018 and 2019, respectively. Prosecutors alleged that Boeing misled regulators about a

See Full Page