Airlines

U.S. judge: Passengers in fatal Boeing 737 MAX crashes are ‘crime victims’

On Friday, a federal judge in Texas determined that the victims of two Boeing 737 MAX crashes are legally constituted “crime victims,” a designation that will determine what remedies should be enforced.

Some relatives of accident victims claimed in December that the US Justice Department breached their legal rights when it reached a deferred prosecution agreement with the planemaker in January 2021 over two disasters that killed 346 people.

The US Air Force no longer grounds its MV22 Osprey(Opens in a new browser tab)

The families claimed that the government had “lied and violated their rights through a secret process” and asked U.S. District Judge Reed O’Connor to revoke Boeing’s immunity from prosecution, which was a condition of the $2.5 billion deal and order the planemaker to be publicly arraigned on felony charges.

Attorney General Merrick Garland met with some of the families after they filed a lawsuit alleging that the Crime Victims’ Rights Act had been broken, but he maintained the plea agreement, which included a $244 million fine, $1.77 billion in airline compensation, and a $500 million fund for crash victims.

MCAS, a safety system related to two deadly crashes and intended to help mitigate the MAX’s propensity to pitch up, was built by Boeing but important information about it was withheld from the FAA. The Ethiopian and Indonesian pilots would have “received training sufficient to respond to the MCAS activation that occurred on both aircraft,” according to O’Connor, “had Boeing not committed its crime,” the judge decided.

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The crashes, which have cost Boeing more than $20 billion in compensation, production expenses, and fines and caused the best-selling airliner to be grounded for 20 months, forced Congress to approve laws changing FAA aviation certification.

Boeing is requesting that Congress extend the FAA’s certification deadline for the MAX 7 and MAX 10 beyond the legislation’s December deadline. All aircraft after that date must have contemporary cockpit alerting systems, which the 737 aircraft do not.

In order to resolve Securities and Exchange Commission allegations that it misled investors about the MAX, Boeing paid $200 million last month.

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Airlines

Qantas Engineers Stage Walkout Over Cost of Living Concerns

Tensions at Qantas reached new heights as base maintenance workers in Brisbane walked out of a hangar meeting hosted by the airline’s CEO, Vanessa Hudson.

The walkout was a clear display of displeasure and aimed to send a strong message to the company’s management about the growing frustrations within the workforce. The workers, represented by the Qantas Engineers Alliance, have been pushing for wage increases that reflect the rising cost of living.

In an open display of displeasure, Qantas Base maintenance workers walked out of a hangar meet hosted by the CEO Vanessa Hudson in Brisbane, also aimed to send a message to the management.

Qantas Engineers Alliance members have been demanding decent wage increases to match with… pic.twitter.com/y9EVjc46VM— FL360aero (@fl360aero) September 14, 2024

Despite ongoing discussions, the employees feel that their concerns have been overlooked, leading to this public show of dissent. The hangar meeting, meant to foster dialogue and address employee concerns, instead became the stage for a visible demonstration of dissatisfaction as the workers exited in unison.

For some time, the engineers and maintenance staff have expressed frustration over wage stagnation amid increasing inflation and living costs. Their demand is simple: a decent and fair wage adjustment that keeps pace with economic realities. The walkout underscores the workers’ determination to stand firm on their request for better pay and fair treatment.

As Qantas navigates its recovery post-pandemic, this incident highlights the growing internal challenges the airline faces, especially concerning its workforce. The maintenance staff’s actions have put additional pressure on the company’s leadership to address the wage concerns and avoid further escalation.