The Commerce Commission has dropped charges against six Air New Zealand executives as it prepares to take nine airlines to court for allegedly working as a cartel to inflate air cargo charges.
Although Air New Zealand welcomed the decision, it still has to defend allegations of colluding with 12 other airlines to raise freight prices.
The first stage of the case starts next month in the High Court in Auckland.
The airlines are alleged to have imposed fuel surcharges on cargo shipments into and out of New Zealand for more than seven years.
The Commerce Commission said it is discontinuing actions against individuals, but is still going after the airlines for price fixing.