Price-fixing charges against four current and former British Airways executives have been dropped after the case against them collapsed.
A spokeswoman for the UK Office of Fair Trading (OFT), which brought about the charges, confirms that the case has collapsed and says a statement is forthcoming. She declines to provide further details.
BA's current director of sales and marketing, Andrew Crawley, former head of UK and Ireland sales Alan Burnett, former commercial director Martin George and former head of corporate communications Iain Burns were all charged with cartel offences related to the price-fixing of fuel surcharges with Virgin Atlantic Airways on long-haul passenger flights between July 2004 and April 2006. Virgin Atlantic was granted immunity and escaped being penalised after it relayed details of the exchanges to the OFT. It is reported that the case collapsed due to lack of evidence.
Source: Air Transport Intelligence news