KYODO — ANA Holdings Inc and Japan Airlines Co are expected to raise fuel surcharges significantly on international flights from June, as aviation fuel prices surge amid the Middle East conflict, a source familiar with the matter said Wednesday.
The move is likely to hit the summer holiday season and raise concerns over the impact on travel demand.
Fuel surcharges, which are applied separately from ticket prices to reflect fluctuations in fuel costs, on flights to Europe and North America in June and July are planned to reach ¥55,000 (US$346) for ANA, up ¥23,100 from April and May. JAL is expected to raise its surcharge by ¥21,000 to ¥50,000, the source said.
For flights to China and Taiwan, ANA's surcharge is expected to rise by ¥4,900 to ¥14,300, while JAL's will increase by ¥5,000 to ¥12,400. Surcharges to South Korea and Russia are likely to increase by ¥3,200 to ¥6,500 for ANA and by ¥2,900 to ¥5,900 for JAL, both marking the highest levels under the current pricing system.
Aviation kerosene is produced by refining crude oil, with its price more than doubling on the Singapore market in March from levels before the conflict began in late February.
Fuel surcharges are calculated based on the average price of kerosene every two months, with prices in February and March reflected in surcharges for June and July.
Although fuel surcharges are not applied to domestic flights, JAL is considering introducing the system from spring 2027 to address long-term increases in crude oil prices. ANA and Skymark Airlines Inc are also mulling the same move, the source said.
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