Pilotcenter.net News reports that the US Department of Transportation (DOT) has recently announced fines imposed on Ethiopian Airlines and Etihad Airways for violating flight designation protocols. These airlines were found to have operated flights using codes belonging to US airlines in regions where the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) had imposed flight restrictions for US operators.

Ethiopian Airlines was fined $425,000, while Etihad Airways faced a penalty of $400,000. As part of the DOT's directive, both airlines have been instructed to refrain from similar infractions going forward.

Investigations conducted by the Department’s Office of Aviation Consumer Protection (OACP) unveiled that Ethiopian Airlines had been conducting flights under the United Airlines code between Ethiopia and Djibouti from February 2020 to December 2022. Notably, one of these unauthorized flights occurred even after Ethiopian Airlines was issued a warning regarding the matter.

Similarly, during the periods of August 2022 to September 2022 and January 2023 to April 2023, Etihad Airways was discovered to have operated numerous flights utilizing the JetBlue Airways code between the United Arab Emirates and the United States.

These fines highlight the importance of adherence to established aviation regulations and serve as a reminder to all airlines to uphold industry standards to ensure safety and compliance.