Air India and Air India Express will raise fuel surcharges on domestic and selected international routes from 9 October, increasing the cost of new bookings as airlines respond to higher aviation turbine fuel prices and rising operating expenses.
The revised surcharge will apply to Air India Express bookings made from midnight on 9 October and to Air India bookings made from 11:00 am the same day, according to a report by Jagran. The airlines said the change would partly offset the additional burden created by higher operating costs.
For domestic flights, the one-way surcharge will be ₹400 for journeys of up to 500 km, ₹600 for distances between 501 km and 1,000 km, ₹850 for journeys between 1,001 km and 1,500 km, and ₹1,200 for flights covering more than 1,500 km.
The increase will also apply to selected international routes. Passengers travelling to North America will pay an additional $215 per ticket, while the surcharge for Australia will be $210. Flights to Europe, including the United Kingdom, will carry an extra charge of $135, and services to West Asia will attract a $55 surcharge per ticket.
The revised charges are linked to continued increases in aviation turbine fuel, the main fuel used by commercial aircraft. The report attributed the pressure on fuel prices to conditions in global energy markets and geopolitical uncertainty, including continuing tensions in the Middle East.
Airlines typically pass part of a rise in fuel and operating costs to passengers through fare adjustments or separate fuel surcharges. Because the new charges vary according to distance and international destination, the impact will be higher on longer routes and on overseas sectors covered by the revised schedule.
Air India and Air India Express said they would continue to review fuel prices and make further changes if necessary. The surcharge applies to new bookings made after the specified implementation times, meaning passengers who booked before the revision may not face the new charge for those existing reservations, subject to the airlines’ applicable fare conditions.
The move comes as other carriers also respond to fuel-cost pressures. Akasa Air is reported to be reintroducing a fuel surcharge on domestic flights from 9 October and increasing it on international services. The changes indicate that higher fuel prices are affecting airline pricing across the market rather than being limited to one carrier.
For passengers, the revised structure adds a fixed cost to the advertised fare and may make advance comparison between airlines more important, particularly on longer domestic journeys and international routes. The next change will depend on the airlines’ review of aviation turbine fuel prices and operating costs.
