Boeing will shell out more than $1 billion but avoided prosecution over two crashes involving its 737 Max planes that killed 346 people, the Justice Department said Friday The non-prosecution agreement allows the aerospace giant to avoid being branded a convicted felon and was harshly criticized by many families who lost relatives in the crashes and had pressed prosecutors to take the Boeing the planemaker to trial.

Boeing is set to enter into a non-prosecution agreement in the fatal crashes of two 737 Max aircraft that killed hundreds, the US Department of Justice said.As part of the deal, Boeing will avoid an upcoming fraud trial that could have resulted in the US aviation giant and defence contractor being labelled a felon.

The Justice Department has informed a federal court that it plans to drop its prosecution of Boeing for fraud.