The last holdout in the US Air Cargo Shipping Services Antitrust Litigation suit, Air India (AI, Delhi International), has agreed to settle out of court for USD12.5 million.

The announcement comes after Air New Zealand (NZ, Auckland International) agreed to settle its claims for USD35 million earlier in the month. Had Air India not moved to settle, it would have been the only defendant in a trial scheduled to go ahead in September of this year.

The US suit is only one of several filed by antitrust commissions around the world including the European Union, Switzerland, Brazil, South Korea, Australia, New Zealand, and the United Kingdom. Though in different jurisdictions, their charges all pertain to the defendants' alleged collusion to manipulate fuel and security surcharges between January 2000 and February 2006 to the detriment of consumers.

In all, a total of USD1.2 billion has been recovered for claimants from defendants that include: ABSA Cargo, Air Canada, Air China, Air France, Air India, Air Mauritius, Air New Zealand, Alitalia, ANA - All Nippon Airways, American Airlines, Asiana Airlines, British Airways, Cathay Pacific, Cargolux, China Airlines, DAS Air Cargo, El Al Israel Airlines, Emirates, Ethiopian Airlines, EVA Air, JAL - Japan Airlines, Kenya Airways, KLM Royal Dutch Airlines, Korean Air, LAN Cargo, Lufthansa, Malaysia Airlines, Martinair (Netherlands), NCA - Nippon Cargo Airlines, Polar Air Cargo, Qantas, SAS Scandinavian Airlines, Saudia, Singapore Airlines, South African Airways, Swiss, Thai Airways International, and Varig.