Scandinavian airline SAS is being sued by several major Swedish companies for losses resulting from price fixing on air freight services, Swedish television news has reported.

Low-cost furniture chain IKEA and clothing retailer Hennes & Mauritz were among the companies who had launched lawsuits against SAS, public service television SVT reported.

The price fixing cartel was uncovered after European and US authorities carried out dawn raids at airlines on both sides of the Atlantic in early 2006.

In June this year, SAS admitted its cargo subsidiary had violated US competition laws and agreed with the Department of Justice to pay a USD$52 million fine.

A separate European investigation, with which SAS has said it is cooperating fully, is still underway.

The Scandinavian airline has warned the verdict by the European Commission, expected later this year, could have a "substantial" negative impact on the airline which is already struggling to return to profitability in the face of high fuel costs and stiff competition from low-cost rivals.