WASHINGTON >> A U.S. judge today approved a Justice Department request to dismiss a criminal case against Boeing, allowing the planemaker to avoid prosecution on a charge stemming from two fatal 737 MAX plane crashes that killed 346 people, but he harshly criticized the government’s decision.

Judge Reed O’Connor, of the U.S. District Court in Fort Worth, Texas, disagreed with the department that dismissing the case is in the public interest but said he had no authority to reject the decision. The deal with Boeing “fails to secure the necessary accountability to ensure the safety of the flying public,” he noted.

Boeing said it will honor the obligations of its agreement with the Department of Justice.

“We are also committed to continuing the significant efforts we have made as a company

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