The United States Department of Transportation (DOT) has assessed civil penalties against Air France and KLM Royal Dutch Airlines after finding that both carriers operated flights carrying Delta Air Lines’ designator code through airspace restricted by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA).
Violations in the Baghdad Flight Information Region
The enforcement actions are the direct outcome of investigations conducted by the DOT’s Office of Aviation Consumer Protection (OACP), which determined that both European carriers traversed prohibited zones while operating under the US carrier’s commercial code.
OACP findings identified the following non-compliance incidents:
- Air France: Fined $105,000 after operating more than 30 flights displaying the Delta code through FAA-prohibited airspace within the Baghdad Flight Information Region (FIR) between April 2022 and November 2025.
- KLM Royal Dutch Airlines: Fined $320,000 after operating more than 100 flights carrying the Delta code through prohibited airspace in the Baghdad Flight Information Region (FIR) between January 2022 and May 2025.
→ Air France to Expand US Network with New Direct Flights to Nashville and San Diego for Summer 2027
Regulatory Framework on Codeshare Operations
FAA regulations prohibit US operators from conducting flight operations in foreign-managed airspace where armed conflict, militant activity, or heightened geopolitical tensions present a safety-of-flight hazard to civil aviation.
Under federal rules, foreign air carriers operating commercial services that display the designator code of a US air carrier are required to adhere to these identical operational prohibitions.
US Secretary of Transportation Sean P. Duffy emphasized the rigorous enforcement of these safety mandates:
“Under the Trump Administration, if you fly carrying an American code, following our safety rules is not optional. We will not hesitate to hold any airline accountable for failing to comply with agency regulations. Passenger safety comes first; there are no exceptions.”
As part of the consent orders issued by US regulatory authorities, both airlines were formally directed to cease and desist from future violations of these provisions.
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Plataforma Informativa de Aviación Comercial con 13 años de trayectoria.