Northwest’s plea agreement has been settled for US$38m.

Northwest Airlines’ plea agreement over price-fixing in the air-cargo market was approved by a federal judge late last week, requiring the airline to pay a US$38 million fine.

Prosecutors charged that Northwest Airlines Cargo had conspired to fix air-cargo rates in the US and overseas from July 2004 to February 2006, Bloomberg reported.

Northwest Airlines Cargo earned more than US$80 million from air cargo services between the U.S. and Japan during the time covered by the plea agreement, the Justice Department said.

The plea agreement is part of a Justice Department investigation of price-fixing in global air-cargo shipments that has netted more than $1.6 billion in fines.

“The company has accepted responsibility fully,” US judge John D. Bates said during the sentencing in Washington, adding that it “has shown a great deal of responsibility.”

Northwest Airlines is now part of Delta Air Lines, with its cargo division no longer operational.