Boeing is to plead guilty to conspiracy to defraud the US government after it violated a deal struck with the Department of Justice in the wake of two deadly crashes involving its 737 Max aircraft, prosecutors said in a court filing on Sunday.

The US aerospace group faces a fine of $487.2mn, the maximum by law, a justice official said. Boeing is expected to pay half that sum, subject to court approval, given it has already paid $243.6mn over the matter.

The official said the proposed plea agreement over the one charge did not involve immunity for individual staff, including executives. It only applies to misconduct preceding the 737 Max crashes and does not shield Boeing for any other conduct, including the mid-air blowout aboard an Alaska Airlines flight this year, the official added.