After Air India and IndiGo, Akasa Air on Saturday announced that it will introduce a fuel surcharge on both domestic and international flights following a sharp increase in aviation turbine fuel prices linked to the ongoing tensions in the Middle East.
“There has been a significant increase in the price of aviation turbine fuel, driven by evolving geopolitical developments in the Middle East. As fuel represents a significant portion of airline operating costs, this impacts the cost of operations across the aviation industry. Given this impact, Akasa Air will introduce a fuel surcharge ranging from Rs 199 to Rs 1,300 on our domestic and international routes,” the airline said in a statement.
The airline added that the new surcharge will come into effect on March 15, and the amount applied to each ticket will depend on the duration of the journey.
Earlier, both Air India and IndiGo had also announced similar fuel surcharges as the US–Israel–Iran conflict in the Middle East intensified.
Air India was the first Indian airline to announce the move, introducing the surcharge in three phases. In the first phase, the airline imposed a surcharge of Rs 399 on all domestic flights and on routes to countries belonging to the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC), which includes Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, the Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan and Sri Lanka.
In the second phase, the airline announced additional fuel surcharges on several international routes, including West Asia ($10), South East Asia ($20) and Africa ($30). In the third phase, the higher charges were extended to Far East destinations such as Hong Kong, Japan and South Korea.
Meanwhile, IndiGo also announced that it will impose fuel surcharges ranging from Rs 425 to Rs 2,300 on both domestic and international flights starting March 14.
“This measure is taken due to the significant surge in fuel prices following ongoing geopolitical tensions in the Middle East,” the airline said in a press release on Friday.
