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The US Department of Transportation (USDOT) has imposed substantial fines on Ethiopian Airlines (ET)and Etihad Airways (EY) for operating flights in prohibited airspace using other airlines’ designator codes, The Department’s Office of Aviation Consumer Protection (OACP) uncovered significant regulatory breaches between 2020 and 2023…
Ethiopian Airlines received a $425,000 fine, while Etihad Airways was fined $400,000 for violations discovered during a comprehensive investigation, Ethiopian Airlines operated multiple flights carrying the United Airlines (UA) code between Ethiopia and Djibouti in airspace restricted to U.S. operators.
Notably, the airline continued these flights even after receiving an investigation letter from OACP, directly violating its operational authority, Etihad Airways faced similar penalties for operating flights with JetBlue Airways (B6)designator code between the United Arab Emirates and the United States.
The investigation revealed that the airline continued these unauthorized flights between August 2022 and April 2023, despite multiple notifications from OACP about the problematic conduct, Both airlines were found to have operated air transportation without proper Department of Transportation authorization. The fines serve as a stern warning, with the airlines ordered to cease and desist from similar violations in the future.
In September 2024, US DOT fined Air Canada (AC) $250,000 for violating restricted Iraqi airspace regulations during codeshare flights with United Airlines. Between October 2022 and January 2023, the airline operated multiple flights through prohibited areas connecting the United Arab Emirates and Canada.
