U.S. fines Air Canada $250,000 over flights over prohibited Iraqi airspace

The U.S. Department of Transportation said Friday it had fined Air Canada AC-T $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.

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 code-sharing with United on the route in January 2023. Emirates was fined $1.5 million by the Transportation Department in June for operating flights carrying JetBlue Airways’ code over Iraqi airspace.