Air New Zealand has been ordered to pay A$15 million ($16.3m) in penalties by an Australian court for its part in a global airfreight price-fixing cartel between 2002 and 2007.
"The Federal Court has ordered Air New Zealand (Air NZ) to pay $15 million in penalties after legal action by the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission against a global air cargo cartel," the ACCC said a media statement.
"The Court found Air NZ made and gave effect to agreements with other airlines to fix the price of fuel and insurance surcharges on air freight services from Hong Kong, and insurance and security charges from Singapore, to various locations, including Australian airports, between 2002 and 2007," the Australian regulator said.
ACCC Commissioner Sarah Court said that the "illegal price-fixing agreements" reduced competition for transport costs for goods flown into Australia.
"This decision sends a strong warning to overseas and domestic operators that the ACCC can and will continue to defend competition and the rights of Australian customers and businesses by taking action against anti-competitive conduct," Court said.
The ACCC said that 14 airlines have now been fined $A113.5m since it launched its probe in 2006.
A judgment on penalty for a fifteenth airline, PT Garuda Indonesia, is still being decided.
