Qantas and four other airlines, including Singapore Airlines, are preparing to settle a seven-year, $38 million class action relating to claims of rigging the cost of air-freight services.
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The class action was brought against the airlines in 2007 by customers of air-freight services, including importers and exporters.
Maurice Blackburn, which led the action, said it was confident the court would approve a settlement.
''It has been a large, complex and difficult action, hard fought by the parties for seven years, so this is a significant victory for the businesses that we've been fighting this battle for,'' principal Brooke Dellavedova said.
''These major types of actions are important in ensuring better standards of business behaviour right throughout our corporate landscape, and they, of course, play a pivotal role in opening access to justice.''
The action arose out of an alleged cartel to fix the price of international air-freight services, specifically the level of fuel and security surcharges imposed between 2000 and 2007.
Under the proposed settlement, Qantas, Lufthansa, Singapore Airlines, Cathay Pacific and British Airways will pay a total of $38 million to the applicants. Of this, $13 million will go to Maurice Blackburn.
Air New Zealand, also a respondent, is excluded from the settlement. It has asked for its costs to be paid.
The Federal Court will hear a proposed settlement on June 6.
