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Southwest Airlines to pay $15 million to settle allegations that it colluded to raise fares

American, United and Delta are holding out, saying they did nothing wrong and will continue to defend themselves. Southwest denies breaking any laws.

Southwest Airlines has agreed to pay $15 million to settle a class-action lawsuit that accuses the Dallas-based carrier and other U.S. airlines of illegally colluding to restrict capacity and increase airfares.

Southwest is the first airline to settle in the case, but did not admit any wrongdoing. In addition to the cash payment, the airline agreed to provide additional information and make certain employees available for interviews by the plaintiffs’ attorneys.

“We did not enter into any unlawful agreements with other airlines, against which we compete vigorously, and this settlement does not constitute any admission of wrongdoing,” Southwest spokesman Brad Hawkins said. “We’re entering into this settlement to avoid considerable distraction and expense of protracted class-action litigation.”

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A federal judge preliminarily approved the settlement on Wednesday and air travelers will have a chance to object before it is finalized.

The lawsuit dates back to 2015, when it was revealed the Department of Justice was investigating airlines for potential anticompetitive practices.

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That prompted dozens of lawsuits by consumers in several states against the four largest U.S. airlines -- Southwest, American, United and Delta -- which were ultimately consolidated into a single lawsuit that is being heard in federal district court in Washington D.C.

The lawsuit alleges that for much of the past decade, airlines have coordinated amongst themselves to restrict growth in their networks in order to drive up prices. That coordination has included repeated comments made by airline executives regarding the need to maintain "capacity discipline" during Wall Street earnings calls and at industry conferences, the lawsuit alleges.

American, Delta and United said Thursday they will continue to defend themselves in the lawsuit, which is still in the early stages.

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"There is no change in our position," American spokesman Matt Miller said. "We will continue to defend against the claims, which we believe are without merit."

A Department of Justice spokeswoman declined to comment or confirm the existence of an investigation into the matter. Airlines have previously disclosed the department's request for information and documents in federal regulatory filings.

Southwest began negotiating its settlement with plaintiffs' attorneys in September and a deal was struck in late December, according to court documents. If approved, the settlement funds would be distributed to eligible air travelers based on a plan put forward by the plaintiffs' attorneys that would require court approval.

The remaining parties are scheduled to have a status conference with Judge Colleen Kollar-Kotelly on Feb 12.

The Associated Press contributed to this report