Micheál Martin urges US to uphold rights of Boeing crash victims

US officals will today meet families of Boeing crash victims including Irish United Nations worker, Mick Ryan

Members of Mick Ryan’s grieving family including his wife Naoise Connolly Ryan and his mother Christine Ryan at Dublin Airport in 2019 after his remains were flown back to Ireland. Picture: Sam Boal/RollingNews

Tánaiste Micheál Martin has engaged with US authorities to request that the rights of the victims of two fatal Boeing crashes, including Irishman Mick Ryan, be upheld.

Mr Martin will monitor legal developments closely and is aware of a critical meeting today between families of victims and the US Department of Justice.

A spokesperson said the Tánaiste is also going to write to the US authorities to ensure that “full accountability” is demonstrated. 

Naoise Connolly Ryan, whose husband Mick Ryan was killed in a Boeing 737 Max 8 crash in 2019, will attend, virtually, a meeting with the US Department of Justice on Friday. Picture: Larry Cummins

“The Tánaiste is in regular contact with Ms [Naoise] Connolly Ryan since the tragic death of her husband, Mick Ryan, most recently earlier this month,” his office said. 

“[Mr Martin] is aware of the latest developments in the legal case and is monitoring it closely.”

Mick Ryan’s widow Naoise Connolly Ryan welcomed the Tánaiste’s statement, saying that he had consistently supported the families’ fight for justice for their loved ones.

A total of 346 people were killed when two Boeing planes, later shown to be defective, crashed shortly after takeoff in 2018 and 2019.

Mick Ryan, deputy chief engineer at the World Food Programme, was killed with 156 others on March 10, 2019, when a Boeing 737 Max 8 crashed in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.

Since then, Ms Connolly Ryan and other family members have been fighting to overturn a deal, known as a deferred prosecution agreement, which shielded Boeing from criminal prosecution as long as it followed certain conditions.

Lahinch native Micheál 'Mick' Ryan, an engineer with the United Nations World Food Programme, was posthumously named Humanitarian of the Year in 2020 by the Irish Red Cross.

On May 14, the US justice department found that Boeing had breached the terms of the deal and informed the company it could face criminal charges.

The announcement gave families renewed hope. Today they will confer with the justice department at a meeting in Washington.

Naoise Connolly Ryan will be attending virtually and, with several other family members, she will call for a public trial so those responsible for 346 deaths will be held to account. She said: 

There needs to be a full investigation into Boeing’s crimes. 

“We want the truth, justice, and accountability. We believe the justice department has an opportunity now to deliver real justice and accountability at the highest level in Boeing. The world is watching what the US Department of Justice will do next.”

She said her fight was not only for justice, but to make flying safer for everyone.

Safety failings on Boeing aircraft have been back in the spotlight after a door plug blew out, mid-air, on an Alaska Airlines aircraft in January. An investigation found the door was missing bolts and there were “some loose bolts on many” other Max 9s.

Boeing whistleblowers have also revealed a culture of concealment at the global manufacturer and a litany of serious flaws and missteps in the design, development, and certification of the planes.

Naoise Connolly Ryan said: “We hope that through the US justice system we can deliver real justice for our loved ones and meaningful change in the future of aviation safety. 

"No one should have to go through what we have gone through and continue to go through every single day."