WASHINGTON (AP) — The Transportation Department said Thursday it has fined the Middle East Emirates airline $1.8 million for flights in regions off-limits to U.S. airlines, while also allowing JetBlue Airways to sell seats on the planes.
The fine involves a “significant number” of flights from December 2021 to August 2022 that passed through Iraq on their route between the United States and the United Arab Emirates.
United Arab Emirates was fined $400,000 in 2020 for similar flights and agreed not to repeat the same violation.
JetBlue and Emirates had an agreement called Code sharing in which the New York-based carrier sold seats on Emirates flights as if they were its own planes. The United States allows foreign airlines to operate flights sold under the name or code of a U.S. airline if comply with Federal Aviation Administration restrictions when they do.
The FAA has banned U.S. airlines from flying over Iraq below 32,000 feet for safety reasons.
According to a consent order, Emirates said the flights were planned to remain above 32,000 feet and only flew lower when ordered by air traffic controllers.
According to the consent order, $300,000 of the fine will be removed if Emirates avoids violating US restrictions for one year.
Emirates and JetBlue ended their codeshare partnership in October 2022, a few months before Emirates began a similar arrangement with United Airlines.
