According to the US Department of Justice, aircraft manufacturer Boeing will pay $2.5 billion (nearly SEK 20.5 billion) as a result of two accidents that claimed the lives of 346 people.

The accidents involving the Boeing 737 Max aircraft occurred in October 2018 and March 2019. A plane belonging to the airline Lion Air crashed in Indonesia and a plane from Ethiopian Airlines crashed in Ethiopia, killing a total of 346 people.

Both accidents were linked to pilots experiencing problems with the autopilot.

The aircraft type was then grounded worldwide and has only recently been allowed to fly again. This has cost Boeing enormous sums, including in cancellations and compensation.

Prosecutors have branded Boeing, saying the company put "profit before honesty," for "half-truths" and for trying to hide the truth about the technical flaws.

The new settlement includes nearly $244 million in fines, nearly $1.8 billion in compensation to airline passengers, and $500 million to a fund that will, among other things, distribute damages to the victims' relatives and money for their legal costs.

Source: TT