Boeing to Pay $25 Billion for Concealing Information and Defrauding FAA

Settlement Reached in 737 Max Investigation

$18 Billion in Criminal Penalties, $7 Billion in Compensation

Boeing has agreed to pay a total of $25 billion to settle criminal charges and compensate victims in connection with the 737 Max crashes that killed 346 people.

The settlement, which was announced by the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ), includes $18 billion in criminal penalties and $7 billion in compensation for the families of the victims and compensation for the airlines.

The DOJ alleged that Boeing defrauded the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) by concealing information about a flight control system that was implicated in the crashes. The system, known as the Maneuvering Characteristics Augmentation System (MCAS), was designed to prevent the plane from stalling but has been linked to both crashes.

Boeing has agreed to plead guilty to one count of conspiracy to defraud the United States. The company has also agreed to implement new safety measures and to cooperate with the DOJ's ongoing investigation.

The settlement is the largest criminal penalty ever imposed on a company in the United States. It is also the largest aviation settlement in U.S. history.