ศาลออสเตรเลียตัดสิน การบินไทย ให้จ่ายค่าปรับ 7.5 ล้านดอลล่าให้ ACCC

เพิ่งเจอข่าวมาสดๆร้อน เลยนำมาฝากครับ

ในข่าวบอกว่าเป็นความผิดเกี่ยว Cartel Conduct (การร่วมกันของหลายธุรกิจเพื่อกำหนดราคาสินค้า/บริการ หรือกระทำการอย่างอื่นๆเพื่อลด/จำกัดการแข่งขัน หรือเพื่อเพิ่มอำนาจทางการค้า แทนที่จะแยกกันแข่งกันทางการค้าตามปกติ)

ซึ่งคราวนี้การบินไทยยอมรับว่าเข้าไปมีส่วนร่วมกับสายการบินอื่น ในการฮั้วกันตั้งค่าธรรมเนียมให้อยู่ในระดับเดียวกัน (Price Fixing) ได้แก่ fuel surcharge, security surcharge และ customs fee ของ cargo flight ที่บินออกจากอินโดนีเซีย ในปี 2001-2005

โดยก่อนหน้านี้ได้มีสายการบินอื่นๆ เช่น Qantas, Malaysia Airlines, Emirates, Cathay Pacific, Singapore Air Cargo and Korean Air Lines ถูกศาลตัดสินจ่ายค่าปรับให้ ACCC ในกรณีเดียวกันนนี้ไปเรียบร้อยแล้ว

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Price-fixing costs Thai Airways $7.5m

THAI Airways has admitted to engaging in price-fixing in a global air freight cartel and has been fined $7.5 million in the Federal Court.

The airline, which was one of several pursued by the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC), settled its case and admitted to reaching understandings with other airlines about certain charges for fuel, security and customs between 2001 and 2005.

Qantas, Malaysia Airlines, Emirates, Cathay Pacific, Singapore Air Cargo and Korean Air Lines have previously been fined for their parts in the price-fixing agreement.

In a judgment handed down last Friday, Justice Anna Katzmann found Thai Airways had engaged in serious contraventions.

“This was deliberate, systematic conduct involving senior staff at the Thai station in Indonesia,” the judge said.

“For the understandings to be effective, they required the participation of all players in the market, including Thai.”

The airline admitted to reaching understandings on a fuel surcharge from October 2001 to October 2005, a security surcharge during the same period, and a customs fee from May 2004 to October 2005 on air freight from Indonesia to several countries, including Australia.

It agreed to pay a $7 million fine, $500,000 towards the ACCC's costs and to refrain from engaging in similar conduct for five years.

The ACCC agreed to allow Thai Airways to pay its fine in instalments, due to the airline's ongoing financial problems.

AAP

ที่มา
The Australian
http://www.theaustralian.com.au/business/aviation/price-fixing-costs-thai-airways-75m/story-e6frg95x-1226538356712

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Airlines fined $100 million after ACCC investigation

APN Newsdesk
17th Dec 2012 2:25 PM

AN AUSTRALIAN Competition and Consumer Commission investigation targeting cartel conduct among a number of international airlines has now netted almost $100 million in penalties.

The Federal Court has slapped Thai Airways International Public Company with a $7.5 million fine for breaching cartel provisions of the Trade Practices Act.

It comes a week after the Federal Court hit Singapore Airlines Cargo and Cathay Pacific Airways with $23 million in penalties for similar conduct.

Thai Airways became the 13th international airline to admit to engaging in cartel conduct.ACCC chairman Rod Sims said the $98.5 million in penalties already ordered by the court was the biggest arising from a single ACCC investigation.

The ACCC's trial against Air New Zealand and Garuda Indonesia continues before Justice Perram in the Federal Court in Sydney.

The ACCC action against Thai Airways, which was launched in 2009, formed part of larger cartel proceedings taken against a number of international airlines.

As part of the settlement, Thai Airways admitted to engaging in price-fixing for a fuel surcharge, security surcharge and customs fee for the carriage of freight from Indonesia to Australia.

In delivering the judgment, Justice Katzmann said: "Thai accepts that the contraventions were very serious. This was deliberate, systematic conduct involving senior staff at the Thai station in Indonesia. For the understandings to be effective they required the participation of all players in the market including Thai."

Thai Airways was also hit with $500,000 in court costs.

Mr Sims said the judgment sent a strong signal to the business community that cartel conduct would not be tolerated.

In August the ACCC launched proceedings against Renegade Gas Pty Ltd and Speed-E-Gas (NSW) Ltd and then the Yazaki Corporation for alleged cartel conduct.

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Noosa News

http://www.noosanews.com.au/news/airlines-fined-100-million-after-accc-investigatio/1686252/