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Qantas pays up for collusion
Qantas has settled an American class action for $US26.5 million ($26.8 million).Disgruntled American purchasers launched the suit after the Australian airline carrier admitted it was part of a…
Lawyers Weekly
Qantas has settled an American class action for $US26.5 million ($26.8 million).
The class action settlement, which was negotiated by Qantas' US legal advisers, Todd Miller and Kimberly Shaw from Washington DC firm Baker & Miller, represents the latest example of Qantas having to pay for its anti-competitive behaviour.
It received a $20 million penalty from the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission in 2008 for breaching price fixing rules, and in November last year the European Commission fined the airline carrier $12.1 million.
South Korean and Canadian authorities also imposed modest fines on Qantas for anti-competitive behaviour.
A number of other airlines that were part of the price fixing cartel have reached settlement agreements with the US class action plaintiffs.
Air France/KLM parted with $US87 million, while Lufthansa ($US85 million), Cargolux ($US35.1 million) and Scandinavian Airlines ($US13.9 million) have all agreed to settle for hefty sums.
