The US Transportation Department (USDOT) said Tuesday it had fined Virgin Atlantic $1.05 million for flying in restricted airspace over Iraq on numerous occasions.
USDOT has jurisdiction since the flights carried Delta Air Lines’ DAL.N code. The Federal Aviation Administration had issued a notice prohibiting U.S. carriers from flying over Iraqi airspace without prior approval. The investigation found Virgin Atlantic flew "a significant number" of flights between September 2020 and September 2021, USDOT said, adding the airline was ordered to cease future violations.