06:41 AM EDT, 08/15/2024 (MT Newswires) -- The US Department of Justice has defended a plea deal struck with Boeing ( BA ) in connection with two fatal 737 MAX crashes after some relatives of those killed in the crashes called for its rejection, media outlets reported Thursday.

The Justice Department said in a court filing that the deal "is a strong and significant resolution that holds Boeing ( BA ) accountable and serves the public interest," according to these reports.

Last month, the planemaker reached an agreement with the DOJ to plead guilty to conspiracy to defraud the US, which would entail a $243.6 million fine and an expenditure of at least $455 million for compliance, quality and safety programs.

Relatives of 737 MAX crash victims argued that the punishment in the deal does not adequately hold Boeing ( BA ) accountable for the loss of lives, and the DOJ said the government cannot prove beyond reasonable doubt that Boeing's ( BA ) fraud directly caused the crashes, according to these reports.

Boeing ( BA ) declined to comment while the Justice Department did not immediately respond to MT Newswires' request for comment.

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