New Delhi, 07 April (H.S.):

Soaring Aviation Turbine Fuel (ATF) prices triggered by the West Asia crisis are set to hit air travellers' pockets, with Air India announcing revisions to its fuel surcharge structure effective April 8.

The Air India group on Tuesday hiked surcharges across domestic and international routes to offset rising costs, leading to ticket price increases of ₹299–₹899 for domestic flights and ₹2,200–₹26,000 for international ones.

Aligning with the Ministries of Petroleum & Natural Gas and Civil Aviation's 25% cap on domestic ATF hikes, the carrier is scrapping flat domestic surcharges for a distance-based grid—₹299 (up to 500 km), ₹399 (501–1,000 km), ₹549 (1,001–1,500 km), ₹749 (1,501–2,000 km), ₹899 (over 2,000 km)—applicable to Air India Express flights too from 09:01 IST April 8.

Jet fuel costs have nearly doubled to $195.19 per barrel from $99.40 in late February, inflating operational expenses; this follows similar hikes by IndiGo. Fuel surcharges, added to base fares, help airlines manage volatile oil prices.

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Hindusthan Samachar / Jun Sarkar