The U.S. Department of Transportation fined Emirates $1.8 million for flying over areas that are off-limits. The airline violated rules by flying over Iraq from December 2021 to August 2022.
These flights were between the United States and the United Arab Emirates. In 2020, Emirates was fined $400,000 for similar actions and had agreed not to repeat this.
Emirates Fined for Ignoring Flight Rules
Emirates, based in the UAE, was involved in a code-sharing agreement with JetBlue Airways. The arrangement allowed JetBlue to sell seats on Emirates' flights as though they were its own.
However, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has safety rules that include not flying over Iraq below 32,000 feet. The FAA found that Emirates' flights went lower than this altitude.
ABC News reported that Emirates explained that their flights were meant to stay above 32,000 feet. They only flew lower when air traffic controllers directed them to. Despite this explanation, the fine was imposed because they didn't follow FAA's guidelines.
Out of the total fine, $300,000 can be forgiven if Emirates follows U.S. restrictions for the next year without issues.
The partnership between JetBlue and Emirates ended in October 2022. After this, Emirates began a similar code-sharing deal with United Airlines. The new partnership started just a few months before the fines were announced.
This penalty serves as a reminder to international airlines that they must adhere to U.S. flight regulations, especially when they are under a code-sharing agreement with U.S. carriers.
Such agreements allow foreign airlines to operate as though they were American, but they must follow strict airspace rules.
Related Article: Emirates Leads with New Turbulence Detection Tech
Emirates Urges Boeing for Strong Leadership
Emirates President Tim Clark called for strong leadership at Boeing to guide the aerospace giant through its current challenges.
Speaking at an airline summit, Clark emphasized the need for a leader who focuses on doing the right thing to rebuild confidence in Boeing. He predicted that turning around the company could take up to five years.
Boeing is on the hunt for a new CEO following the announcement that Dave Calhoun will retire by the end of the year.
According to Reuters, the decision comes after a series of setbacks, including safety issues and production problems. One recent incident involved a malfunction on an Alaska Airlines 737 MAX 9 jet.
Clark, a critical voice during Boeing's recent troubles, mentioned that he had never met Calhoun.
Clark noted that Calhoun took over as CEO in January 2020 after two deadly 737 MAX crashes in 2018 and 2019 killed nearly 350 people. He expressed a desire for the next CEO to have extensive knowledge in aerospace engineering and business management.
In related news, Boeing named Stephanie Pope as its group-wide chief operating officer last December, a move seen as preparing her for future leadership.
Meanwhile, Emirates, a significant buyer of long-haul jets, is undergoing the largest cabin refurbishment of its existing planes while waiting for its first Boeing 777X, expected to be delivered in 2025.
This article is copyrighted by Travelers Today, the travel news leader
