Major airline carriers to face $3.3 billion worth of legal charges

German company, Deutsche Bahn (DB) Schenker is to sought $3.3 billion in damages from air cargo suppliers which have been found guilty by the Department of Justice and the European Commission for operating a global price fixing cartel. The airlines involved include British Airways, Air France, KLM, Singapore Airlines, Air Canada and many more.

DB Schenker is to seek damages worth an estimated $2.5 billion, with $1.9 billion coming from German courts and $370 million from US courts; however this is subject to change and could increase by $1.1 billion.

The freight forwarder is to pursue civil litigation in the attempt “to recover significant damages from air cargo carriers that conspired to fix fuel and security surcharges from 1999 until 2006.” Schenker alleges that, in regards to surcharge pricing for shipments to, from and within the USA, the named airlines have violated US antitrust laws. It was reported all defendants named pleaded guilty.