WASHINGTON, Aug 23: A US federal court on Thursday approved a $300 million criminal fine against British Airways after the airline pleaded guilty to illegally fixing prices on transatlantic passenger and cargo flights.

The court simultaneously accepted a $300 million fine against South Korea-based Korean Air Lines Co, after it pleaded guilty to similar charges relating to flights between the United States and South Korea.

The carriers agreed to the fines and guilty pleas with the US Justice Department in a deal announced August 1, but it required court approval to be enforced.

British Airways is now likely to face lawsuits in the United States from disgruntled passengers.

“Today’s sentencing demonstrates that those who violate the antitrust laws and seek to deny American consumers and businesses the benefits of competition will be held accountable for their actions,” said Scott Hammond, a senior official in the Justice Department’s Antitrust Division.

“As I have previously stated any anti-competitive behaviour is to be condemned at British Airways or at other companies. It will not be tolerated and we remain vigilant in this respect,” British Airways’ chief executive Willie Walsh said in a statement posted on BA’s website.

BA -- which was hit with record fines totalling 246 million dollars in Britain for its actions -- said the US government’s probe into the company is now concluded, but it said the Justice Department’s investigation “into the conduct of individuals continues.” Several senior BA executives resigned from the company after the price-fixing deal became public.

The episode marks a troubling chapter in BA’s history after the airline admitted fixing prices it charged passengers on flights between the United States and Britain. Two other airlines, Virgin Atlantic of Britain and Lufthansa of Germany, are cooperating with an ongoing US investigation. Virgin Atlantic blew the whistle on BA in 2006 by informing British authorities about the illegal price-fixing scheme.

BA’s fuel surcharge on round-trip passenger flights between Britain and the United States had jumped to $110 per ticket by 2006, marking a rise of 91 per cent from the $10 per ticket charged in 2004, investigators found.

The airline’s fuel surcharges on air cargo also spiked dramatically during the same period.

Korean Air, which has apologized to its customers, pleaded guilty to similar actions.

Despite the hefty US fine, BA could have been subjected to much higher damages of up to $900 million if it had not cooperated with US investigators. The fines and pleas were approved by the US District Court in the US capital.—AFP