British Airways faces the prospect of up to eight of its executives being named in a US court today in connection with a criminal investigation into price fixing.
Lawyers representing the BA employees have attempted to prevent the disclosure by the US Department of Justice, which is expected to name 10 individuals.
The 10 will be excluded from immunity from prosecution under a deal agreed by BA, but their naming does not imply any guilt.
BA paid fines of £270 million to the Department of Justice and UK Office of Fair Trading at the beginning of August after admitting colluding with Virgin Atlantic on the level of passenger fuel surcharges and with other carriers on cargo surcharges.
The airline claimed only “a very limited number” of employees were involved in the collusion, which triggered the departure of commercial director Martin George and head of communications Iain Burns last year.
BA faces class actions in the US on behalf of passengers and corporate cargo customers.