A federal jury in Chicago has awarded $49.5 million to the family of a 24-year-old nonprofit global health worker killed in the 2019 crash of a Boeing 737 Max jet in Ethiopia.

FAA Administrator Stephen Dickson has personally vouched for the plane's safety. A military and airline pilot before heading FAA, Dickson flew a Max in September. Boeing says Max jets have made 9,000 flights for 14 airlines without incident since returning to service late last year. Joe Jacobsen told the family that FAA delegated the review of most aspects of the flight system to a small number of Boeing engineers. The company admitted that two former test pilots hid information about changes to MCAS from the FAA.

2006 Getty ImagesCHICAGO - Boeing will begin to pay $50 million in financial assistance to the families of more than 300 victims of the two 737 Max crashes, the company announced Monday. Clifford added that if Boeing "wanted to give real relief to the families, they should work with the insurance partners of Ethiopian Airlines to expedite payments to the families." Michael Stumo, the father Samya Stumo who was killed in the Ethiopian Airlines crash, told Congress in July that Boeing's initial announcement "seemed like a PR stunt to us." Boeing's 737 Max jets were grounded worldwide in March after Ethiopian Airlines Flight 302 crashed shortly after takeoff, killing all 157 people on board. It came five months after the crash of Lion Air Flight 610, also a 737 Max, in October 2018.

(CNN) - Transportation Secretary Elaine Chao had an emotional first meeting Tuesday in her Washington offices with family members of Boeing 737 Max crash victims. The meeting came six months to the day after the crash of Ethiopian Airlines Flight 302, which followed the Lion Air Flight 610 tragedy last October. Eleven families met with the head of the agency that oversees the Federal Aviation Administration, which will ultimately determine if and when the 737 Max commercial jet will fly again. The families came to the meeting with several demands, including a commitment from the transportation secretary not to fast-track approving the plane to fly again. Department officials say the Joint Authorities Technical Review will make recommendations and the FAA will address them prior to the 737 Max's return to service.