US prosecutors have recommended that the Department of Justice (DoJ) bring criminal charges against Boeing.
It follows DoJ claims that the plane maker violated a settlement agreement related to two fatal crashes involving 737 Max aircraft that killed 346 people.
Boeing declined to comment when contacted by the BBC but has previously denied breaching the deferred prosecution agreement.
The DoJ has until July 7 to make a final decision on whether to prosecute the company. DoJ declined to comment.
According to CBS, the BBC’s US partner, the recommendation is not final and details of any potential criminal actions remain unknown.
“This is a really important decision that is about to be made,” said Ed Pierson, executive director of the Aviation Safety Foundation and a former senior manager at Boeing.
He told the BBC’s Radio 4 Today programme: “There are problems with these planes. We are seeing problems with these planes and I’m talking about the 737 Max, the 787 and it reflects leadership. religion.”
The plane crashes – both involving Boeing’s 737 Max aircraft – occurred six months apart.
The crash involving Indonesia’s Lion Air occurred in October 2018, followed by an Ethiopian Airlines flight in March 2019.
Last week, relatives of the victims called on prosecutors to seek a $25 billion fine against Boeing and pursue criminal prosecution.
Under the settlement reached in 2021, Boeing said it would pay $2.5 billion in compensation and prosecutors agreed to ask the court to drop the criminal charges after three years if the company complied with a Certain provisions are contained in the deferred prosecution agreement.
But last month, the DoJ said Boeing had breached the agreement, claiming it had failed to “design, implement and enforce an ethics and compliance program to prevent and detect violations of fraud laws.” of the United States throughout its operations”.
Last week, Boeing’s outgoing CEO, Dave Calhoun, faces criticism from US senators.
Mr. Calhoun testified that the company had “learned lessons” from past mistakes and that its employee whistleblower process was “effective” — but lawmakers still accused him of not doing enough to fix it. restore the culture of revenge.
As part of the ongoing investigation, Boeing whistleblowers told the Senate in April that the 737 Max, 787 Dreamliner and 777 models had serious production problems.
The company was most recently in the spotlight when a door panel fell off a new 737 Max aircraft during an Alaska Airlines flight in Januaryleave a hole.
Mr. Calhoun will step down as chief executive at the end of 2024 after less than five years in the role, which carries a salary worth $33 million. He will also remain on Boeing’s board of directors.
Mr. Calhoun takes over from Dennis Muilenburg, who was fired after two crashes.
Mr. Pearson said changes at Boeing’s leadership level were “superficial” and that even when Mr. Calhoun was named chief executive in 2019, he had been at the company for a decade.
“They are making decisions that affect millions and millions of people over many years,” he said.
