Air France and Lufthansa have confirmed they are the subject of a European Commission (EC) investigation concerning relations between the European Union (EU) and Japan.
A Lufthansa statement said that: ”According to information from the investigation decision, the Commission has information that passenger aviation companies including Lufthansa in Europe and in Japan, may have taken part in anti-competitive price-fixing and collusive behaviour in traffic between the EU and Japan.
”Lufthansa is cooperating with the EC in full and [is] willingly providing the requested information.”
Air France was rather less forthcoming, confining itself to noting that: ”Air France confirms that it is involved, among other airlines, in an EC inquiry concerning relations between the EU and Japan. The company will provide the Commission with all the cooperation that it needs.”
For its part, the EC says that its officials have carried out unannounced inspections at several airlines. ”The Commission has reason to believe that the companies concerned may have violated EC Treaty rules on restrictive business practices (Article 81),” it notes in a statement.
”Surprise inspections are a preliminary step in investigations into suspected cartels. The fact that the EC carries out such inspections does not mean that the companies are guilty of anti-competitive behaviour; nor does it prejudge the outcome of the investigation itself. The European Commission respects the rights of defence, in particular the right of companies to be heard in antitrust proceedings.”