Boeing Faces June Trial After Judge Rejects Plea Deal Over 737 MAX Crashes

The aerospace giant seeks to revise its guilty plea, while victims' families push for accountability in what could become a landmark corporate crime trial.

A U.S. federal judge has set a trial date of June 23, 2025, for Boeing's criminal case related to two fatal 737 MAX crashes in 2018 and 2019 that killed 346 people.
Boeing is negotiating with the Department of Justice to revise or withdraw its 2024 guilty plea, which was rejected by a judge due to concerns over a diversity provision in the selection of an independent monitor.
The crashes were partly attributed to the Maneuvering Characteristics Augmentation System (MCAS), an anti-stall software that Boeing admitted was a contributing factor.
Victims' families have criticized Boeing's plea deals as insufficient and view the trial as a necessary step toward justice and corporate accountability.
The Trump administration's DOJ review could influence the outcome of negotiations, with reports suggesting the company may receive more lenient treatment.