New Delhi: Amidst a rise in aviation fuel prices, IndiGo will levy a fuel surcharge on domestic and international flight tickets starting March 14. This charge will come into effect at 12:01 AM tonight and will apply to all new bookings. Flight ticket prices have been increased by amounts ranging from ₹425 to ₹2,300.
This move will result in higher airfares. In a statement issued on Friday regarding this matter, the airline announced that the fuel charge for domestic flights and those within the Indian subcontinent will be ₹425, while for services to the Middle East, it will be ₹900. Furthermore, the fuel charge for flights to Southeast Asia, China, Africa, and West Asia will be ₹1,800, and for flights to Europe, it will be ₹2,300.
Aviation Turbine Fuel (ATF) accounts for approximately 40 percent of an airline’s operational costs. While announcing the introduction of the fuel surcharge, the airline stated that this step was necessitated by a massive surge in fuel prices following ongoing geopolitical tensions in the Middle East.
The airline stated, “While a significant adjustment in fares would be required to fully mitigate the impact of this surge in fuel prices, IndiGo—keeping in mind the burden on its customers—has introduced a comparatively lower amount in the form of a fuel surcharge.”
It is worth noting that on March 10, Air India and Air India Express had also announced the imposition of a fuel surcharge on tickets.
SpiceJet and Akasa Air are also considering introducing fuel surcharges.
The first phase of these measures came into effect on March 12, involving the imposition of additional charges on domestic flights and travel to SAARC nations. The second phase will be implemented starting March 18, under which the fuel surcharge will be increased for flights bound for Europe, North America, and Australia. The date for the third phase has not yet been announced. In this phase, additional charges will be levied on flights to Far East markets such as Hong Kong, Japan, and South Korea.
