US DOT Fines Ethiopian, Etihad for Code Violations

DALLAS — The US Department of Transportation (DOT) has fined Ethiopian Airlines (ET) US$425,000 and Etihad Airways (EY) US$400,000 for flying under US airlines’ designator codes.

In a press release issued on December 12, 2024, the DOT stated that the investigation led by the Department’s Office of Aviation Consumer Protection (OACP) revealed that:

• Between February 2020 and December 2022,  ET had operated "a significant number of flights" between Ethiopia and Djibouti using the United Airlines (UA) code.
• Between August 2022 and September 2022 and January 2023 and April 2023, EY had used the JetBlue (B6) code between the United Arab Emirates and the United States.

Previous Warning

According to the DOT release, the OACP notified EY of the problematic conduct in September 2022 and November 2022.

However, EY continued to operate "flights carrying JetBlue Airways’ designator code in regions in which a Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) flight prohibition was in effect for U.S. operators."

As per the DOT release, the African and Middle Eastern carriers have been ordered to cease and desist from similar violations moving forward.

The consent orders are available at www.regulations.gov, docket number DOT-OST-2024-0001. 

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