• Boeing reaches a $1.1 billion deal with the U.S. Justice Department to avoid prosecution over two fatal 737 MAX crashes.
• The agreement allows Boeing to avoid becoming a convicted felon, angering victims' families who sought justice.
• Boeing will pay $445 million into a victims' fund and invest more than $455 million to enhance compliance and safety programs.
• Many victim families oppose the deal, claiming it represents a failure to hold Boeing accountable for its actions.
• The settlement must still receive court approval as families prepare to challenge it legally.

The U.S. Justice Department (DOJ) has reached an agreement with Boeing that enables the company to avoid prosecution relating to two tragic 737 MAX crashes that resulted in 346 fatalities. The deal, which is set to be finalized soon, includes a payment of over $1.1 billion from Boeing, which covers a $243.6 million fine and $444.5 million designated for a victims’ fund to compensate families, according to Reuters, Reuters, CBS News, and Business Insider.

The settlement spares Boeing from being labeled a convicted felon, a possibility that had concerned regulators and could have hampered its ability to secure defense contracts. However, this prospective outcome has drawn fierce criticism from victims' families, many of whom had advocated for a public trial and stronger accountability measures. "This kind of non-prosecution deal is unprecedented and obviously wrong for the deadliest corporate crime in U.S. history," said attorney Paul Cassell, representing the victims' families, as highlighted by Reuters, HuffPost, and The New York Times.

This agreement follows a series of legal setbacks for Boeing, including a rejected plea deal last December. The new arrangement obliges Boeing to enhance its compliance and safety programs, hinting at increased regulatory oversight. The DOJ stated that the deal represents a fair resolution, balancing accountability with practical considerations of litigation risks, as per CBS News and Los Angeles Times.