The U.S. Department of Transportation has fined Dubai-based Emirates airline $1.8 million for operating flights in violation of airspace restrictions over Iraq, according to news reports.
Between December 2021 and August 2022, Emirates operated numerous flights carrying the code of former codeshare partner JetBlue Airways that flew below 32,000 feet over the Baghdad Flight Information Region.
This airspace is prohibited for U.S. airlines and codeshare partners by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) due to safety concerns, unless special permission is granted.
Emirates had previously been fined $400,000 in 2020 for similar violations and agreed not to repeat the offense.
The airline stated that while the flights were planned to remain above 32,000 feet, air traffic control did not provide clearance to ascend or instructed the aircraft to operate below that level, which pilots were obligated to follow for safety reasons.
“Our pilots duly followed ATC (air traffic control) instructions, a decision which is fully aligned with international aviation regulations for safety reasons,” an Emirates spokesperson told Reuters.
Under the latest consent order, Emirates must pay $200,000 of the previous $400,000 fine and an additional $1.6 million penalty.
However, $300,000 of the new fine will be waived if the airline adheres to U.S. airspace restrictions over Iraq for one year.
Emirates ended its codeshare partnership with JetBlue in October 2022 but recently established a similar agreement with United Airlines.
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