Boeing to Distribute $50 Million to 737 MAX Families

Boeing said it has ‘dedicated’ USD$50 million of its fund to provide financial assistance to families of the victims of two fatal crashes of its 737 MAX jets.

The figure is half of the total Boeing pledged after the crashes of Lion Air and Ethiopian Airlines flights killed all 346 onboard.

Boeing also announced that it has retained Kenneth Feinberg and Camille Biros to design and administer the fund.

“The tragic loss of life in both accidents continues to weigh heavily on all of us at Boeing,” the company's chief executive Dennis Muilenburg said.

“Through our partnership with Feinberg and Biros, we hope affected families receive needed assistance as quickly and efficiently as possible.”

Camille Biros outlined how “important it is to assist the families of the victims who have endured a personal tragedy,” and said they will work to distribute the money as efficiently and expeditiously as possible.

Boeing said that monies distributed by Feinberg and Biros will be independent from any resolution provided through the legal process.

The Boeing announcement came on the same day that Paul Njoroge, who lost five family members including his three children on the Ethiopian 737 MAX that crashed in March, gave testimony to the US House of Representatives.

In his testimony Njoroge said he has nightmares about how his children must have clung to their mother crying during the doomed flight. He said he misses them “every minute of every day.”

He said that three weeks after the deaths of his family, Boeing shifted focus from the cause of the crashes - “the design flaws in the 737 MAX and MCAS”, and started talking about foreign pilot error.

Boeing launched the $100 million fund earlier this month to support education, hardship and living expenses for affected families and communities in the areas impacted by the crashes.

Aviation regulators worldwide grounded the 737 MAX after the two fatal crashes, with US airlines now removing the aircraft from their schedules until at least November.