Price-fixing trial update

Wednesday, 15 Jul, 2009 0

Four existing and former British Airways executives pleaded not guilty to allegations of price-fixing over passenger fuel surcharges.

The airlineâ€™s global sales and marketing director Andrew Crawley and three past BA executives – former head of communications Iain Burns, former UK head of sales Alan Burnett and former commercial director Martin George â€“ appeared at Southwark Crown Court yesterday.

All four denied colluding with Virgin Atlantic over surcharges on long-haul passenger flights between July 2004 and April 2006.

They were granted unconditional bail until the trial, which is scheduled for January 10.

If found guilty, they face five years jail and an unlimited fine.

By Bev Fearis

Bev

Editor in chief Bev Fearis has been a travel journalist for 25 years. She started her career at Travel Weekly, where she became deputy news editor, before joining Business Traveller as deputy editor and launching the magazine’s website. She has also written travel features, news and expert comment for the Guardian, Observer, Times, Telegraph, Boundless and other consumer titles and was named one of the top 50 UK travel journalists by the Press Gazette.