The US government is preparing to offer the plane maker a “sweetheart plea deal”, a lawyer representing victims of two Boeing 737 Max crashes told the BBC.
Paul Cassell said he obtained the information “directly from the Department of Justice,” adding that the agreement included a small fine, three years of probation and an independent safety audit.
Boeing did not immediately respond to the BBC’s request for comment, while the Department of Justice (DoJ) declined to issue a statement.
Last week, U.S. prosecutors recommended that the Justice Department file criminal charges against the plane maker.
Previously, the U.S. Department of Justice said Boeing violated a 2021 settlement agreement related to a crash that killed 346 people.
“The memory of the 346 innocent people killed by Boeing demands more justice than this,” Mr. Cassell said, adding that “the families will vigorously oppose this plea deal.”
The two crashes, both involving Boeing 737 Max aircraft, occurred within six months of each other.
The crash involving Indonesian Lion Air occurred in October 2018, followed by the crash of an Ethiopian Airlines flight in March 2019.
