U.S. Fines Air Canada For Iraqi Incursions

Air Canada has been fined $125,000 by the U.S. Department of Transportation for multiple incursions to Iraqi airspace. The flights were operated by Air Canada under its code share with United Airlines while carrying U.S. citizens, so it was therefore subject to the FAA ban on U.S. overflights of the country. The overflights occurred on flights between the United Arab Emirates and Toronto. Last June, Emirates was fined $1.5 million for carrying JetBlue passengers through Iraqi airspace.

Air Canada's defense was that it essentially had no choice but to fly briefly in Iraqi airspace on numerous occasions. The airline said the "incidents were brief, unplanned and inadvertent and due to several factors, including air traffic control restrictions and a switch to a larger aircraft that needed more time to achieve sufficient altitude. Also, safety was not compromised." The total fine was $250,000, but half is payable only if there's another incursion within a year of sentencing. Air Canada has canceled the code share with United on that route.