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 deal includes the company admitting to obstructing federal aviation officials and paying $1.1 billion in fines.

The two crashes, in 2018 and 2019, left 346 people dead.

The government said it had conferred with families of crash victims, and said many either supported or did not oppose the deal. Some families, however, have expressed outrage at the prospect of such a deal.