New Delhi, Oct 8 (IANS) Flyers will have to shell out more for plane tickets as Air India and Air India Express have announced an increase in fuel surcharges on domestic and select international routes due to the rise in Aviation Turbine Fuel (ATF) prices amid the continuing Middle East conflict.

The Tata Group airlines have followed leading domestic carrier IndiGo in increasing the fuel surcharge.

“ATF prices have remained volatile in recent months amid geopolitical developments and sustained pressure on global energy markets. The latest increase has pushed up airline operating costs, with fuel accounting for a substantial share of overall expenditure,” the Tata Group airlines said.

For Air India Express, the revised surcharge will apply to new bookings made from 0000 hours IST on October 9, while for Air India, it will apply to bookings made from 1100 hours IST on October 9. The surcharge will vary depending on the sector and route category, an Air India statement said.

Air India and Air India Express have revised their one-way domestic fuel surcharge, with the levy ranging from Rs 400 to Rs 1,200 depending on the flight distance.

The revised surcharge will be Rs 400 for flights up to 500 km, while journeys between 501 and 1,000 km will attract a Rs 600 surcharge.

For flights covering 1,001-1,500 km, the surcharge will be Rs 850. Flights between 1,501 and 2,000 km, as well as those above 2,000 km, will carry a Rs 1,200 surcharge.

Air India and Air India Express have also revised the fuel surcharge on select international routes, with the surcharge set at $215 for North America, $210 for Australia, $135 for Europe including the UK, and $ 55 for West Asia and the Middle East, the airlines said.

Earlier, IndiGo revised its fuel charges for all new bookings made from 0001 hours on October 6, due to the sharp rise in the cost of ATF.

“The continuous rise in the fuel prices, with the latest month-on-month increase exceeding 14 per cent, has taken ATF costs to levels that are amongst the highest in the last decade,” IndiGo said in a statement.

Under the revised charges, passengers travelling up to 500 km on domestic routes will pay a fuel charge of Rs 375.

For domestic flights covering 501-1,000 km, the charge will be Rs 600, while flights covering 1,001-1,500 km will attract a charge of Rs 900.

For journeys between 1,501 and 2,000 km, passengers will pay Rs 1,150. Flights covering more than 2,000 km will carry a fuel charge of Rs 1,300.

IndiGo has also revised fuel charges for international flights based on the distance and route.

For flights within the SAARC region, routes up to 500 km will attract a charge of Rs 1,000, while routes covering 501 km and above will carry a charge of Rs 3,000.

Flights to Southeast Asia, the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) and the Middle East, and North and East Asia will attract a fuel charge of Rs 5,500.

The charge for flights to Africa has been fixed at Rs 6,000, while passengers travelling to Europe will pay Rs 10,000.

IndiGo said the revised charges were kept lower than the increase in its actual fuel costs to limit the impact on passengers.

–IANS

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