Aircraft manufacturer Boeing has paid a $3.1 million fine imposed by the United States Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) for violating aviation safety regulations.

The penalty was issued due to multiple irregularities, including safety breaches associated with the incident in 2024 where a door plug blew off an Alaska Airlines Boeing 737 MAX 9 mid-air.

The agency stated that the $3.1 million fine demanded from Boeing in September 2025 was paid in January of this year. However, the matter had not been publicly disclosed prior to this. Boeing has confirmed the payment of the fine.

According to FAA information, Boeing was also fined last year for interfering with safety inspectors' ability to work independently and for presenting two non-compliant aircraft to the agency for approval.

Reuters reported that the FAA previously discovered widespread irregularities in Boeing's manufacturing system in 2024.

Between September 2023 and February 2024, the agency identified hundreds of quality control defects at Boeing's 737 plant in Renton, Washington, and the 737 fuselage factory of its then-subsidiary Spirit AeroSystems in Wichita, Kansas.

The FAA further stated that a Boeing employee pressured a colleague acting on behalf of the FAA. That employee had inspected a 737 MAX aircraft and stated that it failed to meet the regulatory standards set by the agency.

However, the worker was pressured to sign off on the aircraft approval to maintain Boeing's scheduled delivery timeline.

Democratic Senator Richard Blumenthal considers the fine imposed on Boeing to be insufficient. He previously stated that fines of this nature are easily absorbed as a cost of doing business by companies like Boeing, and thus do not create an effective deterrent against dangerous behavior.

Blumenthal had previously investigated various safety and manufacturing irregularities at Boeing. He also led the committee that investigated the incident involving the mid-air blow-out of a cabin panel on an Alaska Airlines aircraft.

That committee's report highlighted serious concerns raised by internal whistleblowers regarding Boeing's manufacturing processes.

In January 2024, a door section of the cabin of an Alaska Airlines 737 MAX 9 blew off shortly after takeoff. It later came to light that the aircraft was missing four critical bolts.

The incident raised major questions regarding Boeing's safety and production systems.

In response, flights of the 737 MAX 9 were temporarily grounded, and the FAA capped Boeing's monthly production at a maximum of 38 aircraft. That restriction was lifted in October 2025.

Meanwhile, the FAA stated in July that following months of data and safety reviews showing consistent improvements in Boeing's manufacturing standards, the company has been granted permission to issue airworthiness certificates for 737 MAX and 787 aircraft.

Under a tariff agreement between Bangladesh and the United States, Bangladesh has pledged to purchase 25 aircraft from the US company Boeing. Accordingly, Biman Bangladesh Airlines signed a final agreement on May 1 to purchase 14 aircraft from US aircraft manufacturer Boeing.

Purchasing these aircraft will cost $3.7 billion, equivalent to 45,408 crore Bangladeshi Taka. Subsequently, a decision was made to purchase an additional 11 aircraft.

On Tuesday, U.S. President Donald Trump sent a letter thanking Prime Minister Tarique Rahman for purchasing aircraft from the United States.