Air New Zealand wins legal costs

AIR NEW ZEALAND has been awarded NZ$3.2 million towards its legal costs by the Federal Court in Australia as part of the settlement in an air cargo market class action.
The class action, alleging anti-competitive conduct by several airlines in setting cargo rates and surcharges, was brought in 2007, claiming damages of up to A$200m.
In a statement, the airline said: “Air New Zealand has consistently denied any such conduct and was one of two airlines to defend related proceedings brought by the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission. A decision of the Federal Court is awaited in respect of those proceedings.”
The ANZ statement continued: “The air cargo industry has been the subject of a globally co-ordinated investigation by competition regulators and civil action by class action lawyers for over eight years.
“Air New Zealand was cleared of involvement by the European Commission in 2010 and by the US Department of Justice in 2011. The company continues to defend a related class action claim in the US which, subject to the decision on the ACCC proceedings, is the only remaining litigation arising from this matter.”