UAE fined by US for violating Iran no-fly-zone

The United Arab Emirates (UAE) has been fined $400,000 by the US Transportation Department for violating a ban on flying in Iranian airspace, including areas over the Gulf and the Gulf of Oman, which was introduced during heightened political tension between Washington and Tehran last year.

Half of the fine will be waived if Emirates airline avoids similar violations for a year.

The department said the flights carried the code of New York-based JetBlue Airways — a sign that JetBlue could sell seats as if it were a JetBlue plane. That arrangement made the flights subject to a US ban on flying in Iranian airspace, including areas over the Gulf and the Gulf of Oman.

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The UAE consented paying the fine and settled the matter even though it said that it didn’t believe the violation deserves enforcement action. It has also agreed to suspend all flights in Iranian airspace except two a day to Tehran.

The Transportation Department said it viewed Emirates’ violations seriously, and that a fine “establishes a strong deterrent against future similar unlawful practices by Emirates and other carriers.”

The Americans imposed a ban on entering Iranian airspace in January following its assassination of Quds Force commander Qasem Soleimani in the Iraqi capital Baghdad.

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