US fines Virgin Atlantic $1 million for flights over Iraq
The U.S. government is fining British airline Virgin Atlantic up to $1.05 million for flying over restricted airspace in Iraq WASHINGTON -- The U.S. Transportation Department has fined British airline Virgin Atlantic up to $1.05 million for flying over restricted airspace in Iraq while operating flights in a partnership with Delta Air Lines. The federal agency said the flights occurred between September 2020 and September 2021 while the Federal Aviation Administration had told U.S. airlines to avoid the area. Atlanta-based Delta owns 49% of Virgin Atlantic. The airlines have a so-called code-sharing agreement in which Delta put its own “code” on some Virgin Atlantic flights and sold seats as if they were Delta airplanes. The department said that arrangement brought the U.K. carrier under FAA restrictions covering U.S. airlines when a “significant number” of its flights between the United Kingdom and India passed over Iraq. From March 2020 until October 2021, the FAA barred U.S. ai...