FAA proposes fining Boeing $1.25 million over actions at plant

WASHINGTON/SEATTLE (Reuters) – The Federal Aviation Administration on Wednesday said it was proposing to fine Boeing Co $1.25 million after the agency alleged Boeing managers exerted undue pressure or interfered with work of employees performing duties for the government at the company’s plant in South Carolina.

The long-standing FAA practice of delegating some FAA tasks to airplane manufacturers has come under criticism after two fatal Boeing 737 MAX crashes raised questions about the program. The FAA alleged Boeing failed to ensure administrators were in a position to effectively represent the FAA’s interests and that some Boeing managers “exerted undue pressure or interfered” with people performing tasks for FAA.

(Reporting by David Shepardson and Eric M. Johnson; editing by Diane Craft)