US fines Air Canada over flights over prohibited Iraqi airspace

By David Shepardson

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The U.S. Department of Transportation said Friday it had fined Air Canada $250,000 for operating flights in 2022 and 2023 in prohibited Iraqi airspace.

The agency had jurisdiction because those flights had United Airlines’ designator code. The violations occurred on numerous flights between the United Arab Emirates and Toronto in airspace that was prohibited by the Federal Aviation Administration to U.S. operators.

The FAA cited the "complex security environment" that exists over Iraq in barring flights. Air Canada must pay $125,000 of the fine and owes another $125,000 if it violates the order again within a year. Air Canada stopped codesharing with United on the route in January 2023.

Air Canada said the "incidents were brief, unplanned and inadvertent and due to several factors, including air traffic control restrictions and a switch to a larger aircraft that needed more time to achieve sufficient altitude. Also, safety was not compromised." The carrier added it has taken action to prevent such incidents from reoccurring.

Emirates was fined $1.5 million by the Transportation Department in June for operating flights carrying JetBlue Airways’ code over Iraqi airspace. It was the second time they had been fined since 2020.

(Reporting by David Shepardson; editing by Jonathan Oatis)

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