WASHINGTON>> The U. S. Department of Transportation The U. S. government fined British airline Virgin Atlantic up to $1. 05 million for flying over limited airspace in Iraq while flying in partnership with Delta Air Lines.
The federal firm said flights took positions between September 2020 and September 2021, while the Federal Aviation Administration told U. S. airlines to head to the area.
Atlanta-based Delta owns 49% of Virgin Atlantic. Airlines have a so-called codeshare agreement in which Delta puts its own “code” on some Virgin Atlantic flights and seats as if they were Delta planes.
The ministry said the deal imposed FAA restrictions on the British airline covering U. S. airlines when a “significant number” of its flights between the U. K. and India passed through Iraq. From March 2020 to October 2021, the FAA banned U. S. airlines from flying over Iraq at any time. altitude due to “intensification of defense force activity and emerging tensions in Iraq. “The FAA still bans civilian aircraft below 32,000 feet.
In a consent agreement released Tuesday, Virgin Atlantic said the overflights were unintentional. The airline said it has followed FAA restrictions on codeshare flights in the afterlife and that the violations were caused by disruptions and shortages caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. The airline said it promptly diverted flights after learning of the violations.
Half of the fine, or $525,000, will not apply if Virgin Atlantic avoids violations for one year.
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