Boeing Scores Big As US Judge Throws Out Trial, Clearing Way For Airline To Put MAX Disaster Behind It
BoeingBA has spent years haunted by shortcuts that it took to bring its next-generation 737 to market, but the Justice Department might finally exorcise the ghosts of the firm’s costly and deadly past mistakes. On Monday, a US judge canceled a trial over two fatal crashes on its 737 MAX jet, a stunning reversal of fortunes.
- In July 2024, Boeing pleaded guilty to “conspiracy to defraud the United States,” and agreed to pay a hefty fine for its ‘conduct’ in causing the 2018 and 2019 737 MAX crashes.
- However, in December, the Judge threw out Boeing’s settlement; it made a new settlement last month whereby it paid a smaller fine, set up a fund for crash victims, and committed to safety and compliance investments.
The biggest comeback yet: We wrote in December that Boeing’s ‘year from hell’ could be an opportunity for investors looking to bet on a ‘Made in America’ industrial giant in the second Trump Era. Since then, it’s up 28% and has become a go-to bargaining chip for the Trump administration in key tariff talks. Clearing the way for higher highs, Boeing now plans to bolster its MAX production by year-end, launching a new assembly line and certifying its smallest and largest MAX variants. A pivotal move in its turnaround, Boeing has seen a flurry of upgrades.