Airplane manufacturer Boeing on Wednesday said it will pay $100 million to families and communities impacted by two recent, deadly crashes of the company’s 737 Max planes.
The airline will donate the money to local governments and nonprofit organizations to then give to families impacted by the Lion Air Flight 610 and Ethiopian Airlines Flight 302 crashes.
The money may be used for education, hardship and living expenses, officials said.
Boeing will pay out the sum over several years, the company said. Recipients do not have to waive their right to take legal action over the tragedy, CNN reported.
“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,” Boeing Chairman Dennis Muilenburg said in a statement.
“The families and loved ones of those on board have our deepest sympathies, and we hope this initial outreach can help bring them comfort.”
The Lion Air flight crash in October 2018 and the Ethiopian Airlines flight crash in March 2019 killed 346 people. The second led to the near-worldwide grounding of Boeing 737 MAX planes, which the FAA yanked from US skies.