Boeing faces USD 3.1m fine over safety violations

Dhaka: Boeing could be fined more than USD 3 million by the United States Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) for safety violations that took place over a period of six months from September 2023 to February 2024, if FAA proposals are accepted unchallenged.

The financial penalties, totaling USD 3,139,319, represent the “maximum statutory civil penalty authority consistent with law” that the FAA is able to bring to bear.

The fines come in response to hundreds of “quality systems violations,” including the infamous “door plug blowout” incident that occurred during an Alaska Airlines flight from Portland to Ontario, California, in January 2024, at an altitude of 16,000 feet.

Following the incident, Boeing executives refused to guarantee the safety of door plug installations.

An FAA newsroom announcement specifies breaches that took place at Boeing’s 737 factory in Renton, Washington, and Boeing subcontractor Spirit AeroSystems’ 737 factory in Wichita, Kansas.

As well as accusing Boeing of presenting “two unairworthy aircraft to the FAA for airworthiness certificates” and “failing to follow its quality system,” the regulator says the firm also interfered with safety officials’ independence.

Following receipt of the FAA’s penalty letter on September 12, 2025, Boeing now has 30 days to respond.