Washington DC - Boeing and the Department of Justice are seeking a judge's approval for a deal, opposed by victims' families, that would see the company avoid criminal prosecution for two crashes that killed 346 people.

A judge has been asked to approve an agreement that would allow Boeing to avoid criminal prosecution, despite objections from the relatives of people killed in two 737 MAX crashes.

If successful, the aviation giant would not only avoid the consequences of a felony conviction but would also avoid oversight from an independent monitor.

The case comes as a result of two crashes in 2018 and 2019 – which claimed the lives of 346 people – due to an issue with the new jet's Maneuvering Characteristics Augmentation System (MCAS).

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New engines installed on the 737 MAX to improve fuel efficiency resulted in a tendency for its nose to be pushed up. MCAS was created to automatically adjust such deviations and avoid an aerodynamic stall.

It was this system that then caused the crash of Lion Air Flight 610 in 2018 and Ethiopian Airlines Flight 302 in 2019, triggering a lawsuit over (among other things) claims that the manufacturer did not properly educate airlines and pilots about the new system.

Boeing and the DOJ now seek to avoid criminal prosecution.

"Because it is entirely within the government’s discretion whether to pursue a criminal prosecution, an agreement not-to-prosecute does not require court approval," read a statement cited by Reuters.

Under the deal, Boeing will pay about $1.1 billion, including fines and compensation to families, and about $455 million on improving compliance and safety.