(Posted 31st August 2026)
32 Kenyan families are set to receive a total of KSh11.3 bn in additional compensation linked to the 2019 Ethiopian Airlines Flight 302 crash.
Each family will receive about KSh353 million, on top of an earlier payout of about KSh188 million.
The March 2019 disaster, killed all 157 people on board Ethiopian Airlines Flight 302.
The then brand new Boeing B737Max crashed minutes after taking off from Addis Ababa Bole International Airport.
The crash of flight ET302 followed a similar Boeing B737Max disaster five months earlier off the coast of Indonesia which equally killed all on board. The aircraft type was subsequently barred from flying for an extended period of time by global aviation regulator and Boeing’s reputation took a prolonged nosedive in the public and professional arenas.
In November last year, a United States federal court jury awarded more than $24 million to the family of a woman who died in the crash of a Boeing 737 Max jetliner in Ethiopia more than six years ago.
This went alongside multiple other cases against Boeing.
The litigation surrounding the Boeing 737 MAX crashes (the 2018 Lion Air and 2019 Ethiopian Airlines disasters) spans multiple major court actions, including multi-billion dollar federal settlements, corporate governance resolutions, and massive individual civil jury verdicts.
- The Original 2021 DPA ($2.5 Billion): Boeing initially entered a Deferred Prosecution Agreement (DPA) worth $2.5 billion ($243.6 million criminal fine, $500 million crash-victim beneficiaries fund, and $1.77 billion in compensation to airline customers).
- The 2024 Breach and Attempted Plea Deal: Following the January 2024 Alaska Airlines mid-air door plug blowout, the DOJ ruled that Boeing breached its 2021 safety compliance obligations. Boeing initially agreed to plead guilty to criminal fraud in mid-2024, but a federal judge rejected the plea deal over concerns regarding the criteria used to select an independent monitor.
- The 2025 Non-Prosecution Agreement ($1.14 Billion Additional): In May 2025, the DOJ reversed course and finalized a new deal that dropped the criminal prosecution in exchange for $1.14 billion in additional penalties and commitments. This package included an extra $243.6 million fine, $444.5 million allocated to a crash victims’ compensation fund, and a mandatory $455 million investment to overhaul Boeing’s internal quality, safety, and compliance programs under an independent consultant.
Civil and Wrongful Death Lawsuits
- Stumo Family Verdict (May 2026): A Chicago jury ordered Boeing to pay $49.5 million to the family of 24-year-old Samya Rose Stumo.
- Garg Family Settlement (November 2025): The family of United Nations consultant Shikha Garg was awarded a $35.85 million settlement (comprising a $28.45 million jury verdict plus 26% interest).
- Ryan Family Verdict (August 2026): A federal jury awarded $29 million to the widow and family of UN engineer Michael “Mick” Ryan.
- Other Noteworthy Settlements: Major private settlements were reached on the eve of trials, including a confidential payout to Canadian resident Manant Vaidya (who lost six family members) and Paul Njoroge (who lost five family members).
