Former Martinair vice president of cargo sales for Europe Frank de Jong has agreed to plead guilty to price fixing on cargo rates for international shipments.

The US Department of Justice today also said de Jong will serve eight months in jail and pay a $20,000 criminal fine.

de Jong's charge is part of a broader investigation by US authorities in which 15 airlines and four executives have either pleaded guilty or agreed to plead guilty to cargo price fixing on international air shipments, including to and from the US.

Collectively those companies have agreed to pay fines totalling more than $1.6 billion, and three executives have already been sentenced to jail time. Those executives are Bruce McCaffrey of Qantas, Timothy Pfeil of SAS and Keith Packer of British Airways.

Click here to read our recent look at the latest developments in the cargo price-fixing probes facing airlines

Source: Air Transport Intelligence news