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Air travellers in India are set to face higher ticket prices as Akasa Air announced that it will introduce a fuel surcharge on both domestic and international flights beginning March 15. The airline said the additional charge will range from ₹199 to ₹1,300, depending on the duration of the flight, reflecting the mounting pressure airlines are facing from rising global aviation fuel costs.
The surcharge will apply to all bookings made from 00:01 hours on March 15 and will be added to ticket prices across the airline’s network. The carrier said the step has been taken to offset escalating operational costs caused by a sharp increase in aviation turbine fuel prices.
In a statement, the airline confirmed that the surcharge will apply to both domestic and international routes and will vary according to flight duration. It added that fuel expenses account for a significant portion of airline operating costs and that the surcharge will be reviewed periodically based on prevailing market conditions. Passengers have been advised to check the applicable surcharge while booking flights in the coming weeks.
The decision comes as airlines around the world grapple with higher jet fuel prices, largely driven by geopolitical tensions in West Asia that have pushed global crude oil prices upwards.
Airlines across India introduce similar surcharges
Akasa Air’s move follows similar steps by other Indian carriers seeking to cope with rising fuel costs. Earlier this week, Air India became the first Indian airline to introduce a fuel surcharge on domestic flights starting March 12. The charges vary according to the route, while international flights operated by the airline are also seeing surcharges scaled depending on the destination.
Soon after, IndiGo, the country’s largest airline, announced that it would introduce a fuel surcharge on both domestic and international flights starting March 14. The additional charge applies to all new bookings made from 00:01 hours on that date.
Under IndiGo’s revised structure, passengers travelling on domestic routes or within the Indian subcontinent will pay an additional ₹425 per passenger per sector. Flights to the Middle East will carry a surcharge of ₹900, while routes to Southeast Asia and China will attract an extra charge of ₹1,800. The same ₹1,800 surcharge applies to flights to Africa and parts of West Asia, while long-haul flights to Europe will see the highest additional charge of ₹2,300.
The airline cited data from the **International Air Transport Association Jet Fuel Monitor, which indicates that aviation fuel prices have risen by more than 85 per cent. Such a steep increase has significantly raised the cost of operating flights.
Rising fuel prices push airlines to act
Fuel represents one of the largest components of airline operating costs, accounting for roughly 30 to 40 per cent of total expenditure. When prices rise sharply, airlines often introduce surcharges or adjust fares to recover part of the increased expense.
IndiGo described its newly introduced charge as only a partial adjustment, noting that absorbing the entire surge in fuel costs would require significantly higher ticket prices.
For travellers, the immediate effect will be a noticeable increase in airfare. Domestic flights could become around ₹400 to ₹500 more expensive depending on the route, while long-haul international flights to destinations such as Europe may see fares rise by more than ₹2,000.
Airlines have indicated that the surcharges will be reviewed regularly and may be revised or removed if fuel prices stabilise. Until then, passengers are likely to continue paying more for air travel as the aviation industry navigates a period of volatile fuel costs.
