WASHINGTON, Sept 12 (Reuters) - The Federal Aviation

Administration on Friday proposed fining Boeing ( BA ) $3.1

million for a series of safety violations, including actions

tied to the January 2024 Alaska Airlines 737 MAX 9 mid-air

emergency, and for interfering with safety officials'

independence.

The FAA found hundreds of quality system violations at

the planemaker's 737 factory in Renton, Washington, and Boeing ( BA )

subcontractor Spirit AeroSystems' ( SPR ) 737 factory in

Wichita, Kansas.

The FAA also said Boeing ( BA ) presented two unairworthy aircraft

to the FAA for airworthiness certificates and failed to follow

its quality system rules.

The FAA found that a Boeing ( BA ) employee pressured another

Boeing ( BA ) worker performing tasks on behalf of the FAA to sign off

on a Boeing 737 MAX airplane so the company could meet its

delivery schedule despite the fact the employee had determined

the aircraft did not comply with standards.

Boeing ( BA ) and Spirit AeroSystems ( SPR ) did not immediately comment.

In June, the National Transportation Safety Board said

Boeing ( BA ) failed to provide adequate training, guidance, and

oversight to prevent the Alaska Airlines mid-air cabin panel

blowout that spun the planemaker into a major crisis.

The board harshly criticized Boeing's ( BA ) safety culture and its

failure to install four key bolts in a MAX 9 during production,

as well as ineffective oversight by the FAA.

Earlier this week, FAA Administrator Bryan Bedford told

Reuters the agency had not made any decision on whether to lift

the 38 planes per month 737 MAX production cap in place since

early 2024, or on how it oversees Boeing ( BA ) production.

The FAA continues to inspect each 737 MAX and 787 aircraft

before an airworthiness certificate is issued and cleared for

delivery. Typically, the FAA delegates airplane ticketing

authority to the manufacturer.