British Airways has promoted head of sales Andrew Crawley to its management board despite the charges of price-fixing hanging over him.
Crawley will join the board in January, days before he is due to appear in court alongside three former senior BA managers – ex-commercial director Martin George, who was also a board member, former head of communications Iain Burns and former UK head of sales Alan Burnett.
The four are accused of conspiring with counterparts at Virgin Atlantic to fix fuel surcharges on transatlantic fares between 2004 and 2006.
BA has admitted the price fixing, paid £270 million in fines to the Office of Fair Trading and US Department of Justice, and agreed to refund up to six million passengers.
Virgin Atlantic escaped any fines after playing the role of whistleblower, but has also paid out refunds.