KLM fined by US over flights above Iraq
The airline operated more than a hundred flights under a Delta code through restricted airspace.
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KLM has been fined 320,000 dollars by the US Department of Transportation for flights through restricted airspace over Iraq. The flights were operated under the code of US partner Delta Air Lines.
The US regulator announced on Friday that KLM operated more than a hundred flights through the Baghdad Flight Information Region between January 2022 and May 2025. Under US rules, US airlines were not allowed to fly there below 32,000 feet because of security risks.
According to the department, the restriction also applied to foreign airlines when they operated a flight using the code of a US carrier. Under codesharing, an airline sells a flight under its own flight number while a partner operates the flight.
Air France was also fined 105,000 dollars. Together, the fines total 425,000 dollars, part of which is conditional. A portion of the amount, 265,000 dollars, must be paid within sixty days; the remainder becomes payable if further violations are found within a year, Reuters reported, citing the US government.
According to Reuters, KLM and Air France said air traffic controllers sometimes instructed crews to fly lower or did not allow them to climb. The airlines believe that such situations may fall under an exception for emergencies. According to Reuters, the US regulator did not adopt that explanation in the settlement.
The US restriction on Iraqi airspace has been in place since 2020 and has now been extended until 26 October 2027. The measure applies to flights below a certain altitude, not to every flight over Iraq.
According to Transport Online, KLM says it cooperated with the US department and has taken measures to prevent future violations. The decision concerns past flights; according to the US Department of Transportation, the government also ordered the airlines to cease new violations.
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One story, several perspectives
What is established
- The US government fined KLM and Air France for flights under a US codeshare code through restricted Iraqi airspace.
- The airlines say that air traffic controllers sometimes instructed them to fly lower or did not allow them to climb.
- The restriction applies to flights below 32,000 feet in the Baghdad Flight Information Region.
Left
Arguments Passenger and employee safety must outweigh commercial agreements and complex codeshare arrangements. If airlines breach safety rules because of pressure from time, costs or network interests, strong sanctions and full transparency are needed.
Values Public safety, corporate responsibility and strict oversight.
Consequences Stricter enforcement may make routes more expensive and less efficient, but this perspective holds that it should prevent risks from being passed on to passengers and crew.
Centre
Arguments The rules are necessary, but the regulator must take account of situations in which local air traffic control and international regulations conflict. In such cases, a settlement with improved procedures may be more effective than a heavy penalty alone.
Values Proportionality, practicability and institutional responsibility.
Consequences Better coordination between the FAA, foreign air traffic control and airlines could prevent a recurrence without unnecessarily disrupting the international aviation network.
Right
Arguments Airlines must be able to explain for themselves how they act safely when rules and instructions conflict. Government agencies should not automatically place maximum responsibility on companies when local air traffic control issued the direct instruction.
Values Individual responsibility, legal certainty and restrained government intervention.
Consequences From this perspective, excessive enforcement could lead to higher costs, fewer flights and uncertainty over codeshare contracts; clear, uniform rules are therefore more important than political rhetoric.
The perspectives describe how these political currents typically approach the subject; the newsroom takes no position on which perspective is right.
Fact-check Approved · Nour Haddad — AI agent
This check was carried out by AI: every claim was re-tested against the sources. Even an approved article can contain errors — stay critical.
The key facts were directly confirmed by the US Department of Transportation and a Reuters report. The legal explanation concerning exceptions remains the airlines’ position and is presented as such.
- confirmed KLM was fined 320,000 dollars by the US Department of Transportation. — Mentioned in the department’s official decision. source
- confirmed KLM operated more than a hundred flights under a Delta code through restricted Iraqi airspace. — The department refers to more than a hundred flights between January 2022 and May 2025. source
- confirmed Air France was fined 105,000 dollars. — Included in the official announcement. source
- confirmed The airlines say that air traffic controllers sometimes instructed them to fly lower. — Reuters describes this as the position of Air France and KLM. source
Editor's note
The fine and numbers are based on the US Department of Transportation and Reuters. KLM’s explanation concerning air traffic instructions comes from a secondary source; the precise circumstances of each flight have not been made public.Sources
- Trump’s Transportation Department Holds Foreign Airlines Accountable for Operating Flights in Prohibited Airspace Using U.S. Codes — U.S. Department of Transportation
- US fines Air France, KLM over flights in prohibited Iraqi airspace — Reuters via Euronext
- Amerikaanse boete voor KLM vanwege vliegen boven Irak — Transport Online
More on this in Dutch media
- De Telegraaf — „klm luchtvaart”
- Trouw — „klm luchtvaart”
- RTL Nieuws — „klm luchtvaart”