The U.S. Department of Transportation slapped Air Canada with a US$250,000 fine for operating flights in prohibited airspace over Iraq.
The airline flew planes carrying the designator code of U.S. carrier United Airlines Holdings Inc. in areas of the country that are banned for U.S. operators, according to the department. The “significant number of flights” between the United Arab Emirates and Canada took place between October 2022 and January 2023, DOT said in a statement on Friday.
“These incidents were brief, unplanned and inadvertent,” Air Canada spokesman Peter Fitzpatrick said in an emailed statement. They occurred due to several factors, “including air traffic control restrictions and a switch to a larger aircraft that needed more time to achieve sufficient altitude,” he said, adding that safety was not compromised.
United declined to comment.
Air Canada told the U.S. government that it took immediate action after receiving notice from DOT about the possible violations. It also reminded crews of the requirement to avoid the prohibited airspace, and began an investigation into why some flights deviated from the carrier’s policies, among other actions, according to a consent order between the department and the carrier.
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