The European Commission yesterday announced nearly €800 million in fines against 11 air cargo ­carriers, including British Airways, Air France-KLM and Japan Airlines, for running a cartel.

“It is deplorable that so many major airlines coordinated their pricing to the detriment of European businesses and European consumers,” said European competition commissioner Joaquin Almunia.

The Air France-KLM group was hit with the biggest fine, €310 million, of which €183 million was for Air France and 127 million euros for KLM. British Airways was fined 104 million.

The other companies fined were Air Canada, Martinair, Cargolux, Cathay Pacific Airways, Japan Airlines, LAN Chile, Qantas, SAS and Singapore Airlines.

Lufthansa and its subsidiary Swiss International Air Lines escaped a fine under the commission’s leniency programme for being the first to provide information about the cartel.

The 11 cargo carriers coordinated their action on surcharges for fuel and security without discounts over a six-year period, between December 1999 and February 2006, the European Union’s competition watchdog said.

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