BA settles for US$89.5 million anti-trust penalty in US civil suit

BRITISH Airways will pay US$89.5 million to settle a class action lawsuit for its part in a scam involving 18 airlines and 19 executives charged with price-fixing air cargo rates between 2000-2006.


The class-action suit stems from US Department of Justice's anti-cartel investigation from 2006. The plaintiffs of direct purchasers of air freight services have already settled $66 million with South American airlines' Lan Airlines, LAN Cargo SA and Aerolinhas Brasileiras SA.


Of 13 airlines reaching pleas with class-action plaintiffs, five have been settled with an agreed total payment of $367.9 million while the others await court approval.


The consolidation of the lawsuit against BA is yet to be scheduled but will be heard by US District Judge John Gleeson.
(Source:http://www.schednet.com)