In a significant development, Boeing has agreed to plead guilty to a criminal fraud conspiracy charge and pay a fine of $243.6 million to resolve an investigation into two fatal Boeing 737 MAX crashes.

The U.S. Department of Justice (DoJ) announced this resolution in a court filing on July 7. This deal helps the embattled aerospace company avoid a potentially damaging public trial as it seeks to recover from a series of safety and manufacturing issues.

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According to the document filed in the Northern District Court of Texas, both parties are working to finalize the terms of the plea agreement. They have requested the judge to delay scheduling a trial, anticipating that the deal will be made public by filing it with the court by July 19.

This agreement addresses only Boeing’s misconduct prior to the crashes, which tragically claimed the lives of all 346 passengers and crew members aboard two new boeing insight accelerator MAX jets. It does not grant Boeing immunity for other incidents, such as the panel that detached from a MAX jetliner during an Alaska Airlines flight in January, according to a Justice Department official.

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As part of the agreement, Boeing will undergo a three-year period of independent monitoring of its safety and quality protocols. Additionally, they are required to invest at least $455 million in strengthening their compliance and safety programs.

Additionally, Boeing committed to reporting any suspected breaches of fraud laws by staff members in their interactions with foreign or domestic authorities, regulators, or airline customers, as well as collaborating with the DoJ on any relevant investigations.