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US fines Lufthansa & SWISS for violating FAA's prohibited airspace regulations

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US fines Lufthansa & SWISS for violating FAA's prohibited airspace regulations
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The US Department of Transportation (DOT) has imposed fines on Lufthansa and SWISS for operating United Airlines codeshare flights in airspace where the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) had prohibited US carriers from flying. Lufthansa was fined $220,000, while SWISS received a $200,000 fine. The DOT has instructed both airlines to "cease and desist from future similar violations."

This year alone, the DOT has issued fines totaling $2.9 million to international carriers for breaches of airspace prohibitions. Last year, the department issued a single fine amounting to $1.05 million.

International carriers must seek permission from the DOT to operate codeshare flights with US-registered airlines and comply with all relevant requirements. If they violate these restrictions by flying in prohibited airspace, they can face charges and fines from the DOT.

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The penalties against Lufthansa Group carriers were based on findings by the DOT’s Office of Aviation Consumer Protection (OACP). According to a USDOT statement, between March 2022 and April 2024, Lufthansa operated several flights carrying the United Airlines code in FAA-prohibited airspace for US operators. Similarly, an OACP investigation revealed that SWISS conducted multiple flights in restricted areas under the United Airlines code between February 2022 and March 2024.

Earlier this month, Ethiopian Airlines was fined $425,000 for operating United Airlines codeshare flights over restricted airspace between Ethiopia and Djibouti. Etihad Airways also faced a $400,000 fine for conducting flights carrying JetBlue Airways’ designator code in prohibited zones.

In September, Air Canada received a $250,000 fine after operating numerous United codeshare flights over restricted airspace between October 2022 and January 2023.

The most substantial penalty this year was directed at Emirates with a fine of $1.8 million for flying JetBlue Airways’ code over restricted areas from December 2021 to August 2022.

Virgin Atlantic was fined $1.05 million earlier this year for flying Delta Air Lines' code over Iraqi airspace when an FAA Notice to Air Missions (NOTAM) was active.

Flight restrictions are implemented globally by the FAA due to safety concerns or diplomatic issues affecting certain regions such as Afghanistan, Belarus, Cuba, Haiti, Iran, Iraq among others.

There are also specific restrictions on Russian flight operations within US airspace due to sanctions against Russia. Exceptions exist only for humanitarian or search and rescue missions authorized by the FAA or state aircraft with diplomatic clearance.

Additionally, routing restrictions apply within US airspace for flights originating from countries like China and Syria.

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