Very valid point, but it's been twenty-three years since that crash - is it irony, or an attempt to be better than that? Hard for any of us to say, but the fact that they're taking these steps now suggests that perhaps it's moreso the latter.
it's not baseless at all. any company that has any respect for quality, safety, and its employees do not fire the employee that brings attention to poor quality resulting in diminished safety either for the employees or the customer.
They also fired the mechanic that raised this issue before the accident. It could have been avoided if they had only listened to him.
It is indeed a bit ironic.