US Fines Air France, KLM $425,000 Over Iraq Flights

The U.S. Department of Transportation fined Air France $105,000 and KLM $320,000 over more than 130 flights carrying Delta Air Lines’ code that operated through restricted Iraqi airspace from 2022 to 2025. FAA restrictions for the Baghdad Flight Information Region apply to foreign airlines when flights carry a U.S. carrier’s code, and the airlines were ordered to stop similar violations; most of the fine is payable, with the remainder suspended unless further violations occur within a year. The airlines said air traffic controllers instructed crews to descend or prevented them from climbing, underscoring the safety and compliance issues involved in codeshare flights through conflict zones.