Boeing, a US-based aircraft giant embroiled in controversies across the globe over numerous aviation malfunctions, has agreed to plead guilty to one of the charges levied against it, as per reports.

The firm accepted its role in a felony fraud charge regarding two plane crashes in Indonesia and Ethiopia that killed 346 people in 2018 and 2019, respectively.

Boeing decided to plead guilty to criminal fraud charges on July 8 (EST - Eastern Daylight Time) before the US Department of Justice (DoJ) in a deal which required it to reform itself after the two fatal accidents involving two Boeing 737 Max aircraft.

While pleading guilty to these charges, which invites a fine of $243.6 m, the company strategically avoided a high-profile criminal trial, the reports stated.

The fine will also be clubbed with $500 m submitted to the victims’ funds, raising the total amount to be paid by the airliner to a staggering $2.5 bn.

This judicial action, however, saw families of the victims agitated as they alleged this move derived insignificant resolutions and completely missed holding the spearheads at higher ranks of the company responsible.

This hearing was based on one count of allegations against the company for defrauding the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) with its MCAS flight safety system in 2021.

However, the aviation giant had evaded prosecution after agreeing to pay a penalty and completing three years of increased supervision and scrutiny.

But another mid-air malfunction incident – the Alaskan Airline incident –this year in January increased the intensity of the scrutiny. This led to the DoJ’s order in May which said that Boeing violated its agreement terms.

To which, the company agreed to plead guilty, and currently awaits the nod of a federal judge to take it into effect.

This move, however, designates a military and aerospace supplier of the US, as a felon, which tarnishes the image of the century-old company.