Two European Airlines Paid $425,000 Over Where They Flew Delta’s Passengers

The US Department of Transportation has fined Air France $105,000 and KLM $320,000, a combined $425,000, over flights through Iraqi airspace. The consent orders, dated October 23, 2026, cover flights that carried Delta’s DL code.

According to the orders, the flights passed through the Baghdad Flight Information Region below Flight Level 320. Air France flew more than 30 such flights and KLM more than 100 between April 2022 and November 2025. Only $265,000 is due within 60 days, with the other $160,000 payable only if either airline commits another violation within a year.

Both carriers said Iraqi controllers ordered descents or refused climb clearances, and argued an emergency exemption applied. The public record does not show how the DOT resolved that. Reporting also notes that FAA rules cite a lower threshold over Iraq than the level in the orders, and the two have not been reconciled.

No fleet-wide restriction followed, and the orders are settlements rather than contested rulings. Delta declined to comment. The case shows how US rules can follow a ticket sold under a US airline’s code even when a foreign partner operates the flight.

Sources: Air Traveler Club, US Department of Transportation