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.

The Justice Department says it has reached an agreement in principle with Boeing to drop a criminal case over two fatal crashes of 737 Max jets, despite objections from some victims' family members.

The U.S. Department of Justice announced Friday it has reached a non-prosecution agreement with Boeing, allowing the aerospace company to avoid a criminal trial over two deadly crashes involving its 737 Max aircraft, which killed 346 people, according to CNBC.