Boeing to splash $100 million to 737 MAX crash victims, families, communities

In what can be described as unprecedented and also in a bid to douse the bad publicity of the recent Max crashes, Aircraft manufacturer in giant Boeing² announced Wednesday it would give $100 million to communities and families affected by two crashes on its 737 MAX planes that claimed 346 lives.

The first 737 Max 8 crash occured Oct. 29, when Lion Air flight 610 crashed in the Java Sea 13 minutes after takeoff from Jakarta, Indonesia, killing 189 people. Then, on March 10, Ethiopian Airlines flight 302 departed Addis Ababa Bole International Airport bound for Nairobi, Kenya. Just after takeoff, the pilot radioed a distress call and was given immediate clearance to return and land. But before the crew could make it back, the aircraft crashed 40 miles from the airport at 8:44 a.m., six minutes after it left the runway.
Describing the sum as an "initial investment" over multiple years, the company said it would work with local governments and non-profit organizations to provide "hardship and living expenses" and boost economic development in regions affected by crashes of planes operated by Ethiopian Airlines and Lion Air. 
"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," said Boeing chief executive Dennis Muilenburg in a statement to the media. 
It had been reported that  Boeing faces at least 80 lawsuits on behalf of victims of the accidents. Consumer advocate Ralph Nader, whose grand-niece was among those who died, had also lobbied to permanently remove the plane from service.
The official causes of the crashes, which appear to be similar, are still under study. Investigation teams in Indonesia and Ethiopia are focusing on faulty sensors and a flight control system designed to push the nose down in the air. Boeing says it has completed the necessary update for review by the FAA. But as of now, the agency has not said when that will happen.

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