Air Canada Fined for Flights in Prohibited Iraqi Airspace

By David Shepardson

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

The agency enforced the fine because the flights operated under United Airlines’ designator code. Violations occurred on several flights between the United Arab Emirates and Toronto, over airspace restricted by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) for U.S. operators due to the “complex security environment” in Iraq.

Air Canada must pay $125,000 of the fine, with another $125,000 due if they violate the order again within a year. Air Canada ceased codesharing with United on this route in January 2023.

Air Canada stated that the incidents were brief, unplanned, and inadvertent, caused by factors like air traffic control restrictions and aircraft size changes that required more time to gain altitude. They assured that safety was not compromised and have implemented measures to prevent future occurrences.

In a related instance, Emirates was fined $1.5 million by the Transportation Department in June for flights involving JetBlue Airways’ code over Iraqi airspace, marking their second fine since 2020.