NCA - Nippon Cargo Airlines (KZ, Tokyo Narita) along with SAS Scandinavian Airlines (SK, Copenhagen Kastrup) and Cargolux (CV, Luxembourg) have reached a settlement with German logistics firm, Schenker, in its antitrust lawsuit brought against them for their alleged involvement in air cargo cartel activities.

In a statement, the Deutsche Bahn subsidiary said it had dismissed its claims against the three carriers in its lawsuit brought in the Eastern District of New York. Though it did not mention any financial terms, the Wall Street Journal claimed the trio will pay around USD100 million.

"Schenker will continue to pursue its claims against other air carriers and seek damages relating to the air carriers' anticompetitive conduct alleged in the U.S. cartel lawsuit, based on the legal principle of joint and several liability. Schenker plans to pursue its rights vigorously," it said.

Other respondents in Schenker's US case include Air France, KLM Royal Dutch Airlines, ANA - All Nippon Airways, Martinair (Netherlands), Cathay Pacific, and Qantas, all of which the firm claims collectively conspired to coordinate surcharge pricing for shipments to, from and within the US. All defendants named pleaded guilty in Department of Justice proceedings.

In its USD2.19 billion German suit, filed in December 2013, Schenker alleges that defendants Lufthansa, British Airways, Singapore Airlines, Swiss, Cargolux, SAS, Air Canada, Martinair, Cathay Pacific, JAL - Japan Airlines, LAN Airlines, and Qantas were involved in the same conspiracy affecting airfreight shipments worldwide.

Overall, Schenker is seeking damages amounting to USD2.5billion — approximately USD370million in the US and USD2.19billion in Germany including interest — from air cargo carriers found guilty by the US Department of Justice, the European Commission, and other international authorities, for operating a global price-fixing cartel.

It is claimed that between at least January of 2000 and February of 2006, major international cargo airlines from around the world conspired to inflate the price of shipping goods by air by manipulating their fuel and security surcharges. Plaintiffs claim the conspiracy increased global shipping prices, costing businesses and individuals that ship goods by air billions of dollars in losses.

Price fixing class action lawsuits around the world began in 2006 and were taken up on behalf of purchasers of international airfreight services, including importers and exporters of products to and from the United States.