A federal jury in Chicago, United States, on Wednesday, November 12, 2025, ordered aviation giant Boeing to pay more than Ksh3.6 billion ($28 million) to the family of a United Nations consultant killed when a 737 MAX jet crashed en route to Nairobi. Following the verdict, a settlement was reached bringing the total compensation to Ksh4.6 billion ($35.85 million) after including interest, and Boeing has agreed not to appeal the decision.

The landmark case was the first civil trial to reach a verdict among dozens of lawsuits filed after the catastrophic crash of Ethiopian Airlines Flight 302 on Sunday, March 10, 2019. The victim was identified as Shikha Garg, a 32-year-old Indian national working as a consultant with the United Nations Development Programme. She was among 157 passengers and crew who perished when the aircraft plunged into a field near Bishoftu, Ethiopia, just six minutes after taking off from Addis Ababa.

Ms. Garg was travelling to Kenya's capital to attend the fourth session of the UN Environment Assembly, a major international conference that draws delegates from across the globe to the UN's Nairobi headquarters. In total, at least 21 UN-affiliated personnel were on the flight, highlighting the tragedy's significant impact on the international diplomatic and humanitarian community based in Kenya.

Kenya's Heavy Loss and the Quest for Accountability

The Flight 302 disaster resonated deeply across Kenya, as 32 of its citizens were among the dead—the highest number of fatalities from any single country. The victims included professionals, academics, and the family of Paul Njoroge, who lost his wife, three young children, and mother-in-law. Mr. Njoroge's family reached a confidential settlement with Boeing in July 2025. The latest verdict in the Garg case represents a significant moment of public accountability for the aircraft manufacturer.

In court, lawyers for Ms. Garg's family argued that the Boeing 737 MAX was defectively designed and that the company failed to warn the public and pilots about the risks associated with its new flight control software, the Maneuvering Characteristics Augmentation System (MCAS). Investigations by aviation authorities, including the Ethiopian Civil Aviation Authority and the U.S. National Transportation Safety Board, concluded that an erroneous sensor reading incorrectly activated the MCAS, repeatedly forcing the plane's nose down and leaving the pilots unable to regain control. This same system was implicated in the Lion Air Flight 610 crash in Indonesia just five months earlier, which killed 189 people. The two incidents led to the worldwide grounding of the entire Boeing 737 MAX fleet for 20 months.

Boeing's Response and Broader Settlements

In a statement following the verdict, a Boeing spokesperson expressed the company's deep sorrow for all who lost loved ones in the two accidents. While Boeing had previously accepted legal responsibility for the crash in a 2021 agreement with victims' families, this trial was crucial for determining fair compensation. The company noted that while it has resolved the vast majority of claims through confidential settlements, it respects the right of families to pursue their cases in court. To date, Boeing has paid out billions of dollars in compensation and fines related to the two 737 MAX crashes.

The Chicago jury deliberated for about two hours before returning its verdict, which included compensation for grief and for the pain and suffering Ms. Garg experienced during the flight's final moments. Attorneys for the family, Shanin Specter and Elizabeth Crawford, stated that the verdict delivered “public accountability for Boeing's wrongful conduct.” The resolution of this high-profile case serves as a critical milestone for families seeking justice and underscores the profound global and local impact of the tragedy that unfolded on a flight destined for Nairobi.