Re-adoption of a decision to fine air cargo carriers for price-fixing cartel

The European Commission decided on 17 March 2017 to re-adopt a decision against 11 air cargo carriers and imposed a fine of around €776 million for operating a price-fixing cartel.

In November 2010, the Commission imposed fines on these companies for participating in a price-fixing cartel between 1999 and 2006 within the airfreight services market. The companies fined in 2010 were Air Canada, Air France-KLM, British Airways, Cargolux, Cathay Pacific Airways, Japan Airlines, LAN Chile, Martinair, Qantas, SAS and Singapore Airlines. A 12th cartel member, Lufthansa, and its subsidiary, Swiss International Air Lines, received full immunity from fines.

All but one of the companies challenged the decision before the European Court of Justice. In December 2015, the Court annulled the Commission's decision, concluding that there had been a procedural error. However, the Court did not rule on the existence of the cartel. Therefore, the Commission decided to address the procedural error detected by the Court and re-adopt the initial decision to fine the air cargo companies.