NBC News reports Boeing is starting a $100 million fund, which will be used to assist the families of the 346 people killed in the two 737 MAX crashes that happened this past October and March.
"We at Boeing are sorry for the tragic loss of lives in both of these accidents and these lives lost will continue to weigh heavily on our hearts and on our minds for years to come," Dennis Muilenburg, Boeing chairman and CEO, said in a press release. "The families and loved ones of those on board have our deepest sympathies, and we hope this initial outreach can help bring them comfort."
On October 29, 2018, Lion Air Flight 610 crashed into the Java Sea, 12 minutes after takeoff from Soekarno–Hatta International Airport in Jakarta, Indonesia. All the passengers and crew on the Boeing 737 MAX aircraft, totaling 189 people, were killed. Five months later, Ethiopian Airlines Flight 302 crashed just six minutes after takeoff. All 157 people died.
Aviation regulators around the world grounded the Boeing 737 MAX to fix the aircraft's defects. It was later revealed that Boeing discovered a safety alert in the cockpit that wasn't working as intended, but failed to inform airlines or federal regulators until after one of the planes crashed.
A spokesperson for Boeing stated that the fund is meant to assist the families impacted by these two tragedies, and not prevent any of the families from moving forward with legal proceedings. "We are focused on re-earning that trust and confidence from our customers and the flying public in the months ahead," Muilenburg said.
