Promotion for BA exec on price fixing trial
British Airways has awarded Andrew Crawley with promotion to director of sales and marketing, despite awaiting trial for alleged price fixing.
While head of sales at BA, Mr Crawley, 42, and three other current and former airline executives were charged in connection with an UK Office of Fair Trading (OFT) probe into price fixing on long haul passenger flights.
Mr Crawley, Martin George, formerly commercial director and a board member, Iain Burns, ex-head of communications and Alan Burnett, formerly head of UK and Ireland sales, all face charges under the Enterprise Act.
The four are accused of having "dishonestly agreed with others to make or implement arrangements which directly or indirectly fixed the price for the supply in the United Kingdom of passenger air transport services by British Airways and Virgin Atlantic Airways."
A statement by the OFT said the charges relate to July 2004 to April 2006 when they were all employed by BA.
The men could face up to five years in jail and/or an unlimited fine if found guilty.
They are due to appear in court early next year.
BA was fined £121.5m as a result of the investigation last year, the largest amount ever imposed by the OFT for a breach of competition law.
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