U.S, Feb. 5 -- Family members from around the world traveled to New Orleans on Thursday, Feb. 4, 2026, to witness oral arguments before the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit in a high-stakes appeal seeking to revive criminal charges against Boeing for two deadly crashes involving the 737 MAX8 aircraft.

More than a dozen relatives of victims were present in the courtroom as a three-judge panel heard arguments challenging a Texas district court decision that dismissed criminal fraud charges against Boeing stemming from the crashes that killed 346 people seven years ago. The families expressed renewed hope that the appeals court would overturn that ruling and remand the case for further proceedings.

The criminal charges were orig...