Jet Airways to increase fuel surcharge

Air travel is going to cost more with Jet Airways announcing plans to hike fuel surcharge on its domestic network from Saturday. The carrier will charge Rs100 more on routes under 1,000km and Rs200 on routes over 1,000 km, Jet Airways said in a communication to travel agents yesterday.

This would mean that starting Saturday, a passenger flying between Mumbai and Ahmedabad, for example, would have to pay Rs100 more, while a Mumbai-New Delhi ticket will cost Rs200 more.

''We are increasing our fuel surcharge levels on all domestic Jet Airways, Jet Airways Konnect and Jet Lite flights for sales effective February 26, 2011,'' said vice-president, passenger sales for India, Sonu Kriplani, in a note sent to the agents.

 Other carriers are also expected to follow suit. Jet, Kingfisher Airline and Air India had hiked fuel surcharges similarly in the first week of January. With rising international crude oil prices, Indian oil marketing companies have been increasing aviation turbine fuel (ATF) prices.

The Jet increase follows the latest 4 per cent hike in the ATF prices on 16 February. Since 1 January, when the airlines hiked fuel surcharge, the ATF prices have increased by 11 per cent.