Picture credit: Volker Emersleben for Deutsche Bahn
The agreement between subsidiary DB Barnsdale and Cathay Pacific marks the end of the dispute at the Regional Court of Cologne, which has lasted more than a decade.
Both parties have agreed to keep the details of the settlement and the settlement amount confidential.
The settlement with Cathay Pacific brings procedures to a close as it was the last defendant in the case.
Martin Seiler, DB Board Member for Human Resources and Legal Affairs, says, “Our competition litigation experts have battled to secure over 65 settlements and recovered nearly €700 million in damages in the last few years – this marks a victory for justice and fair competition. I am pleased that this long-running legal process regarding the air freight cartel has now been successfully concluded.”
The European Commission imposed fines on Air Canada, Air France-KLM, British Airways, Cathay Pacific, Cargolux, Japan Airlines, LAN Chile, Martinair, SAS, Singapore Airlines and Qantas due to global competition law infringement concerning fuel and security surcharges.
The European Commission’s decision is under appeal at the Court of Justice of the European Union.
DB Barnsdale has been pursuing damages on behalf of DB and other forwarders and shippers at the Regional Court of Cologne since 2013.
It has secured out-of-court settlements with other carriers.