Australia's Qantas Airways Ltd has pleaded guilty to participating in a price-fixing conspiracy on air cargo exported on certain routes from Canada between May 2002 and February 2006, Canada's Competition Bureau said on Jul. 7.

Qantas, which is the fourth carrier to be convicted in the bureau's conspiracy investigation, admitted that during this period its freight division fixed surcharges on some cargo that was trucked from Canada to the United States for onward shipment to Australia and other destinations.

The bureau fined Qantas C$155,000 (US$133,620) for its part in the scheme, which it continues to investigate.

Last month the bureau, an arms-length government agency, fined Air France-KLM, Europe's biggest airline, and a subsidiary, Martinair, a combined C$10 million for communicating with competitors about the amount and timing of fuel surcharges on air cargo exported from Canada.