Gregory Polek has spent his entire career in aviation journalism with AIN, starting as a proofreader and assistant to then-managing editor Mary Mahoney in 1995 after serving an internship with&nbsp;New Jersey Monthly&nbsp;magazine and completing his B.A. degree in English/Writing at New Jersey’s William Paterson College. By 1997 Polek accepted a position as an associate editor, covering the regional airline beat for&nbsp;Aviation International News&nbsp;in place of retiring industry veteran Don Anderson. The assignment took Polek across North America and Europe to profile regional airlines varying in size and mission from the likes of floatplane operators Kenmore Air and Chalk’s Ocean Airways to regional jet operators such as SkyWest and American Eagle. Today, in his dual role as Air Transport Editor and International Airshow Editor, Polek writes, edits, and manages AIN’s commercial aviation content while overseeing each of the company’s daily international air show publications in Paris, Farnborough, Singapore, and Dubai. Most recently Polek has assumed oversight of daily coverage of the Helicopter Association International’s annual Heli-Expo convention.

Senior Editor

Gregory Polek

The U.S. Department of Transportation has fined Emirates Airlines $400,000 for flying through Iranian airspace over a period of more than two weeks in July 2019 in violation of an FAA order, the department said in a consent order issued Thursday. The DOT holds jurisdiction over the matter because Emirates operates under a code-share agreement with New York-based JetBlue Airways.

 


The FAA issued a Notam in June of 2019 prohibiting flight operations in the overwater area of the Tehran flight information region (FIR) because of heightened military activities and political tensions in the region. An investigation by the DOT’s Office of Aviation Consumer Protection (OACP) found that Emirates violated the order between July 1 and July 19, 2019, while operating under JetBlue’s B6 code.

 


In response, Emirates said it takes its regulatory compliance responsibilities “extremely seriously” and that it suspended “for a limited time period” all flights in the Tehran FIR (OIIX) except direct flights to the Iranian capital immediately after the FAA issued the Notam. However, the airline said when it resumed services over the region it inadvertently failed to remove the B6 code from the service. Once it recognized the oversight, it removed the code, it added.

 


Although Emirates said it does not believe the violation merited enforcement action, it agreed to a settlement that allows it to pay half of the fine within 120 days and waive the rest after a year if the airline does not run afoul of the order during that time.

News about commercial airlines, including regulations, aircraft orders, safety, acquisitions, and mergers.

U.S. Fines Emirates for Overflying Tehran FIR

Emirates says it inadvertently failed to remove its JetBlue code while flying over the Tehran FIR. 

2024 Corporate Aviation Leadership Summit

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News and developments about airplanes, helicopters and unmanned air vehicles used in all varieties of operations, including airlines, military, business, commercial, general aviation and private.

News about environmental issues relating to aircraft operations, including noise issues, emissisions, and regulations. See Fuel for biofuel.

News and issues relating to international air transport and cargo carriers, national airlines and regional airlines, including aircraft, engines, personnel, acquisitions, accidents, safety, security and training.

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News and issues relating to the aerospace industry that are related to the science, engineering and business of flight in space involving civil, industrial and military applications, and similar topics related to flight in the atmosphere of the Earth that are not covered more directly by other AINonline subject channels. In other words, both astronautical and aeronautical subjects, except for those aeronautical topics that are specifically covered elsewhere on this website.

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New developments at airports including regulations and noise issues; legal disputes; openings, acquisitions and mergers.

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News and developments about everything that goes into the cabin of an aircraft, from floor coverings to headliners, with a special emphasis on in-flight entertainment, communications and other electronics for passengers. If it is in the cabin of an aircraft, it’s covered here.

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