Two senior British Airways executives at the centre of price-fixing allegations relating to long-haul passenger fuel surcharges have quit and left the company, Britain's flagship airline, with immediate effect.

Martin George, the commercial director and a BA employee for the past 19 years, resigned alongside Iain Burns, the head of communications.

Both men had been on leave of absence since June, when the Office of Fair Trading in the UK and the US Justice Department began a formal probe into possible price-rigging of long-haul fuel tax charges.

Mr George is entitled to 12 months salary in lieu of notice. His base salary is £375,000. Last year he was paid £425,000, made up of a £276,000 salary and cash and shares bonuses worth £74,000 each.

In a letter to Martin Broughton, BA's chairman, Mr George - a board member at the airline - denied any wrongdoing but said he was resigning in line with his responsibilities as a head of department. He is replaced by Robert Boyle, BA's director of planning.

Mr Burns made no formal comment on his resignation. As he is not a BA director, his salary is not disclosed, but he is entitled to six months pay in lieu of notice. Mr Burns is replaced by Thomas Coops, the former communications chief at Abbey National before it was taken over by Banco Santander of Spain.

The resignations come less than three months after Mr Broughton told shareholders at the annual meeting that he was hopeful BA would receive a clean bill of health and that both men would be returning to their jobs.

Mr George said in his letter: "It is with regret that I notify you of my decision to step down as commercial director of British Airways with effect from the above date.

"I now recognise that within my department, there may have been inappropriate conversations in violation of company policy in relation to long haul fuel surcharges. I was not involved in such conversations. Although the board of BA have not found that I have behaved in a dishonest way, I fully recognise my responsibilities as head of department and as a board director.

"I have always taken my responsibilities as a director and board member very seriously and I therefore depart with deep regret, while believing that departing is, in these circumstances and for these reasons, nevertheless, the right course."

Shares in BA lost more than 1.5 per cent of their value, falling 7p to 431.25p.

The OFT and Department of Justice investigation, which is ongoing, centres on whether parts of the airline industry might have colluded in the setting of the fuel surcharge.

BA, which is one of a number of airlines involved in the probe, has increased the charge six times in the past two years, each time arguing that this was in response to surging fuel costs.

The airline has argued that it has been in full compliance with all applicable competition laws.

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