Boeing caught up in the 737 MAX affair, back in court

Boeing is back in court. The American aircraft manufacturer finds itself once again in the wake of the Ethiopian Airlines flight ET302 crash, which occurred on March 10, 2019, just minutes after takeoff from Addis Ababa. There were 157 people on board. None survived. The tragedy occurred five months after the Lion Air crash in Indonesia, and the promise of the 737 MAX, the flagship aircraft intended to boost sales, had turned into a global nightmare.

The focus remains on the same words that cling to the aircraft like a persistent label: design, certification, transparency. The proceedings are particularly concerned with MCAS, the flight assistance software implicated in the series of fatal crashes, and what Boeing knew, or should have reported, to the authorities, airlines, and pilots. The families, for their part, demand clearly acknowledged responsibility, not just a line in a legal agreement, and they regularly denounce the close relationship between the manufacturer and the FAA during the certification process.

The price of a crisis that never ends

This return to court comes at a time when Boeing is already under close scrutiny. Since 2024 and 2025, the company has faced increased pressure regarding industrial quality and safety culture, including audits, stricter controls, and orders to correct internal procedures. Under these circumstances, it's difficult to present the case as a closed file: each hearing revives the image of a company that long prioritized production rates and market demands, before rediscovering, to its detriment, the weight of responsibility.

In terms of figures, the 737 MAX crisis remains a stark reminder: 346 deaths in total, combining Lion Air (189) and Ethiopian Airlines (157), followed by a global grounding of approximately 20 months after March 2019—a shutdown that cost billions and permanently damaged the brand. The legal proceedings, meanwhile, are progressing at the slow pace of transnational litigation, between civil actions and criminal proceedings in the United States, partial settlements, and persistent challenges. This is far from a simple bill settlement; it is a battle of memory, rights, and trust.

Ultimately, it's an entire industry watching, not just lawyers. An aircraft manufacturer returning to court sends a signal to airlines, regulators, and passengers who don't have the luxury of reading technical reports before boarding. Boeing has been claiming for years to have overhauled its internal procedures, but the real test is measured over time: the time of court rulings, audits, and a skies where trust is earned one step at a time, then lost in an instant.