Key facts
- Air France and KLM fined $425,000 for operating flights in Iraqi airspace below 32,000 feet.
- Airlines operated flights with Delta codes in prohibited airspace between early 2022 and 2025.
- Air France operated over 30 flights; KLM operated over 100 flights.
- Airlines cited air traffic control instructions for descending below the minimum altitude.
- Airlines argued for an "emergency situations" exemption due to safety implications of refusing ATC orders.
The US Transportation Department on Friday fined Air France and KLM a combined $425,000 for operating dozens of flights in Iraqi airspace below the minimum altitude of 32,000 feet. The prohibition has been in place for over six years due to threats from the ground. Air France operated more than 30 flights and KLM over 100 flights carrying the Delta code through the prohibited airspace between early 2022 and 2025. The airlines stated that air traffic controllers instructed them to descend due to conflicting traffic and argued for an exemption under "emergency situations."