WASHINGTON >> A U.S. judge today approved a Justice Department request to dismiss a criminal case against Boeing, allowing the planemaker to avoid prosecution on a charge stemming from two fatal 737 MAX plane crashes that killed 346 people, but he harshly criticized the government’s decision.

NEW YORK: A US judge dropped criminal charges against Boeing on Thursday (Nov 6) over deadly crashes of its 737 MAX 8 aircraft as part of an agreement between the company and prosecutors.Judge Reed O'Connor's decision stemmed from a May 23 agreement between the Department of Justice (DoJ)

Two crashes - one a Lion Air flight in Indonesia, the other an Ethiopian Airlines flight - resulted in 346 fatalities. Read more at straitstimes.com. Read more at straitstimes.com.

A US judge dropped criminal charges against Boeing on Thursday over deadly crashes of its 737 MAX 8 aircraft as part of an agreement between the company and prosecutors.

Nov. 6 (UPI) -- A federal judge on Thursday dismissed a criminal conspiracy case against Boeing for its flight control system that is believed to have caused two crashes that killed 346 people.

Judge Reed O'Connor said a DOJ nonprosecution agreement with Boeing "fails to secure the necessary accountability to ensure the safety of the flying public."

A Texas judge agreed to dismiss a criminal charge filed against Boeing after two fatal 737 MAX crashes six years ago.

A federal judge in Texas has dismissed a criminal conspiracy charge against Boeing related to two 737 MAX crashes that killed 346 people.