IATA applies for involvement in Flight Centre price fixing court case.
The International Air Transport Association has lodged a formal Federal Court application to be appointed an ‘amicus curiae’ in the upcoming ACCC case against Flight Centre.
The application would see IATA “have the right to assist the court and participate in the proceeding by making written submissions on the relationship between IATA members and IATA accredited travel agents, including the field or range of activity in which they interact and the nature of that interaction”.
The ACCC case, initiated in March this year, claims that on six occasions between 2005 and 2009 Flight Centre attempted to induce a range of carriers including Singapore Airlines, Emirates and Malaysia Airlines to enter price fixing arrangements.
The IATA application to be involved in the case has been filed just before hearings commence, with the proceedings due to kick off on Monday.
IATA’s involvement is being seen as confirmation that the ACCC move against Flight Centre is a test case which is likely to have implications for airlines and the travel industry as a whole.
More information in Monday’s Travel Daily.