Eastern Airlines faces a ‘substantial’ fine.

Federal Aviation Administration officials said Eastern faces the penalty for alleged maintenance irregularities and other safety violations but declined to reveal the size of the proposed fine. An FAA spokesman said the agency is required to provide Eastern with an opportunity to comment on the allegations, which were described as “serious� and related to safety issues, including improper maintenance procedures, failure to keep proper records and deferral of scheduled maintenance. The spokesman said the FAA believes that the problems have been rectified.