US appeals court upholds decision to dismiss Boeing criminal case

WASHINGTON, March 31 (Reuters) - A federal appeals court on Tuesday upheld a ruling by a lower court to approve the Justice Department decision to dismiss a criminal case against Boeing BA.N, which allowed the planemaker to avoid prosecution on a charge stemming from two fatal 737 MAX plane crashes that killed 346 people.

Judge Reed O'Connor, of the U.S. District Court in Fort Worth, Texas, in November said he had no authority to reject the government's decision to make a deal with Boeing, even though he said it "fails to secure the necessary accountability to ensure the safety of the flying public."

A three-judge panel of the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals upheld O'Connor's decision.