The trial of three former British Airways bosses and its present global director of sales is now under way.
All four stand accused of colluding with rival carrier Virgin Airlines to set fuel surcharges on ticket prices between 2004 and 2006, in a cartel deal thought to have generated an extra £64 million in revenue.
BA's global sales and marketing director Andrew Crawley, ex-commercial director Martin George, former head of communications Iain Burns and ex-head of sales in the UK and Ireland Alan Burnett, have pleaded not guilty.
BA is said to have made £12 million from charging passengers fuel surcharges on long-haul flights in the second half of 2004, and £23 million in the first half of 2005. Combined with additional fuel surcharges on short-haul flights, the airline could have made an extra £64 million.
Richard Latham QC, prosecuting for the Office of Fair Trading, opened the trial, which could last up to three months. Reports said that Latham told the jury the key theme of the case was dishonesty.
Virgin Atlantic and its staff are immune from prosecution, having admitted the collusion to the OFT.
BA was fined £120 million by the OFT and £65 million by the US Department of Justice.
Both airlines were ordered to pay back overpriced surcharges to customers, costing each hundreds of millions of pounds.
The case continues.