Airlines pass on part of rising ATF costs to passengers from October 9 as West Asia conflict and a weak rupee squeeze margins
New Delhi, October 8: Air travel is set to become more expensive. Air India Group and Akasa Air on Thursday announced higher fuel surcharges, following IndiGo’s lead, as aviation turbine fuel (ATF) prices keep rising.
For Air India and Air India Express, the new domestic surcharges range from ₹400 for one-way flights up to 500 km to ₹1,200 for sectors longer than 1,500 km. Mid-range routes will attract ₹600 or ₹850 depending on distance. On international one-way routes, the surcharge is $215 for North America, $210 for Australia, $135 for Europe and the UK, and $55 for West Asia.
The revised fares apply to new bookings from midnight on October 9 for Air India Express and from 11 am the same day for Air India. A spokesperson called it a “calibrated revision” meant to partly offset costs while keeping services reliable.
Akasa Air’s new domestic surcharges run from ₹375 to ₹1,150, broadly in line with its rivals. A flat ₹2,500 will apply on its international routes to Kuwait, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Thailand and Vietnam. These changes also take effect for bookings from October 9.
Fuel makes up a large share of airline operating costs. On September 25, the Federation of Indian Airlines wrote to the civil aviation ministry seeking relief, citing the West Asia conflict, airspace restrictions, rupee depreciation and high fuel prices.
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