Washington, D.C.: The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) on Friday imposed a hefty $3.1 million fine on Boeing Co., following the discovery of serious safety violations at its Renton, Washington facility and Spirit AeroSystems’ plant in Wichita, Kansas. The violations, uncovered between late 2023 and early 2024, included hundreds of quality system failures and attempts to undermine the independence of safety officials.
The FAA’s investigation revealed alarming practices: Boeing reportedly submitted two unairworthy aircraft for certification and pressured a quality inspector to approve a defective jet simply to meet tight delivery deadlines.
The violations included interference with safety officials’ independence and “hundreds of quality system violations” at Boeing’s factory and at Spirit AeroSystems’ plant, the FAA said in a statement https://t.co/DVtLCH36kZ
— Bloomberg (@business) September 12, 2025
This penalty follows the high-profile Alaska Airlines 737 Max door plug blowout in January 2024, which nearly turned catastrophic, leading to production restrictions, intensified government oversight, and the exit of then-CEO Dave Calhoun.
Boeing now has 30 days to respond to the FAA’s formal penalty notice. In a brief statement, Boeing vowed to “strengthen its safety culture and improve accountability and first-time quality across operations,” under the leadership of current CEO Kelly Ortberg.
Ortberg, who took charge last year, is focused on stabilizing production and raising quality standards. The company is currently churning out about 38 aircraft monthly, with plans to boost that to 42 by year-end.
This fine adds to Boeing’s mounting challenges as the aerospace giant strives to restore trust and operational excellence.
