Air Canada fined $250,000 by US for flying over Iraqi airspace

Washington: The US Department of Transportation slapped Air Canada with a $250,000 fine for operating flights in prohibited airspace over Iraq.

The airline flew planes carrying the designator code of US carrier United Airlines Holdings Inc. over areas of the country that are banned for US operators, according to the department. The significant number of flights took place between October 2022 and January 2023, DOT said in a statement on Friday.

A representative for Air Canada didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment. United declined to comment.

The airline told the US 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.