DOT Slaps Qantas for Violating Obscure U.S. Law
Skift Take
The fine here is miniscule. But the issues are interesting. Qantas has the right to fly between New York and Los Angeles, and it does so every day. But it can only carry a small subset of passengers.
The U.S. Department of Transportation has fined Australian airline Qantas as much as $125,000 for breaking rules governing which passengers may fly on its New York to Los Angeles route.
Qantas' daily Boeing 747 flight is among the most unusual in the United States. Travelers can board in New York and transfer in Los Angeles to other Qantas flights to Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane.
Many countries, including the United States, prohibit cabotage, or the practice of a foreign-controlled airline selling tickets on purely domestic flights. The laws are designed to protect U.S. carriers from a foreig
