British Airways seems to Add Air France, 31 Others to U.K. Cartel Case

British Airways PLC asked a U.K. court to add Air France-KLM Group, Cathay Pacific Airways Ltd. and 30 other carriers as defendants in a court case over a price- fixing cartel for air-freight services.

British Airways made the request in the High Court in London to defend itself against payments it may be ordered to make in the case, according to a statement today from Hausfeld & Co. LLP, the law firm for two flower importers who sued the airline. The importers are looking for a class-action status.

“We expect that this will be a positive move in that it will encourage airlines to recognize their European liability to shippers and to begin the process of making sensible commercial settlements,” Anthony Maton of Hausfeld said in the statement.

British Airways in 2007 pleaded guilty to plotting to set extra charges on passenger and cargo flights and was fined $300 million in the U.S. Dozens of carriers have been investigated by antitrust regulators worldwide since 2006, when the U.S. and the European Union started probing the industry.