Air India, Air India Express and Akasa Air hike fuel charges

Air India, Air India Express and Akasa Air have raised or introduced fuel surcharges on domestic and international flights as airlines seek to offset sharply higher aviation turbine fuel (ATF) prices.

The revised fuel surcharges will apply to new bookings made from 00:00 IST on October 9 for Air India Express and from 11:00 IST on the same day for Air India. The surcharge varies by sector and route category.

This comes just days after IndiGo announced a fresh revision of its fuel charges across domestic and international routes, effective for all new bookings made from 00:01 on October 6, 2026.

For one-way short-haul sectors up to 500 km, passengers will incur a fee of INR 400, while journeys covering 501 km to 1,000 km carry a surcharge of INR 600. Flights spanning 1,001 km to 1,500 km attract a fee of INR 850, and medium-to-long domestic sectors covering 1,501 km to 2,000 km, as well as routes exceeding 2,000 km, are capped at a revised surcharge of INR 1,200.

Air India and Air India Express have also updated their one-way fuel surcharges for international routes, with rates varying by geographical region. Passengers traveling to West Asia/Middle East will see a revised fee of USD 55, while flights to Europe (including the UK) carry a surcharge of USD 135. For long-haul destinations, the fuel surcharge is set at USD 210 for Australia and peaks at USD 215 for North American routes.

Air India said ATF prices have been volatile in recent months, driven largely by geopolitical developments and sustained pressure on global energy markets. The latest price increase has further raised airlines’ operating costs, with fuel accounting for a substantial share of their overall expenditure.

“Air India and Air India Express have undertaken a calibrated revision of fuel surcharges, with the adjustments intended to partially offset the increased cost burden while enabling the two airlines to continue providing reliable and high-quality services across their networks.”

Air India and Air India Express said they will review the surcharges periodically and adjust them as necessary.

What are Akasa Air’s new fuel surcharge rates?

Akasa Air has introduced a distance-based fuel surcharge for domestic flights, replacing its previous duration-based system. The charges are ₹375 for flights up to 500 km, ₹600 for 501–1,000 km, ₹900 for 1,001–1,500 km and ₹1,150 for 1,501 km and above.

Akasa Air has also revised its international fuel surcharge structure, introducing a uniform charge of ₹2,500 on flights between India and Kuwait, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Thailand, and Vietnam.

Akasa Air’s revised fuel surcharges will apply to all new bookings made from 00:01 IST on October 9, 2026.

“ATF constitutes a significant component of airline operating costs, and the continued increase in fuel prices has placed sustained pressure on airline operating costs across the industry. In view of the prevailing fuel price environment, Akasa Air has taken a measured approach to partially offset the impact,” the airline said.