Domestic air tickets to cost more in India

Domestic air travel is set to become costlier with leading carriers Air India and private carrier Jet Airways hiking fuel surcharge on flight tickets by up to Rs 150.

The surcharge has been raised by Rs 150 for travel beyond 1,000 km and Rs 100 for journeys up to 1,000 km. The hike in surcharge comes in the wake of a two-per cent hike in aviation fuel prices which came into effect from February 1.

So far, such airlines have not revised fuel surcharge, but with bigger ones leading the way, no-frill airlines are also expected to take a call on the issue in the next couple of days, an airline executive said.

The increase has been effected from the second fortnight of this month, sources said, adding that the fuel surcharge has been revised upwards by Rs 150 for travel above 1,000 km and Rs 100 for travel up to 1,000 km.

No-frill carrier IndiGo may take a call shortly on the issue, airline sources said.

So far the airline has desisted from revising fuel surcharge but it is expected to take a call on the issue in the next couple of days, they said.

The other no-frill carriers - GoAir and SpiceJet, did not respond to text messages asking whether they were also mulling to hike their fuel surcharge.

The hike in surcharge came ahead of the peak summer season when air ticket prices soar in any case due to high demand.

Fuel surcharge, which came in to force since the global meltdown in 2008, help airlines offset part of their operations costs in which fuel bills contribute the most - almost 40 per cent.

With PTI inputs