Air India fares are reportedly set to increase with flights becoming more expensive after the airline revised the fuel surcharges on domestic and international routes. The Tata group-owned airline carrier made the announcement of an increase in fuel surcharge as the global jet prices have surged due to the ongoing war between Iran and US-Israel.
According to the reports, the increase in the surcharge will come into effect from April 8 for domestic routes, while for international routes it will be applicable from April 10.
As the West Asia war rages with Donald Trump threatening widespread bombing of Iran, aviation turbine fuel (ATF) prices have surged significantly.
This has, in turn, increased the operating costs for the airlines globally, including Air India.
Air India Surcharge For Domestic Flights
Air India has adopted a distance-based fuel surcharge model, shifting from the flat model.
There are two brackets of fuel surcharge for the domestic flights based on the distance.
Those travelling short routes, which is 0-500 kms, will have to pay a fuel surcharge of ₹299 per sector.
As for longer routes exceeding 2,000 kms, passengers will now need to pay up to ₹899.
Earlier, the government capped the increase in domestic ATF prices at 25%.
Detailed Breakdown of Fuel Surcharges Based on Distance
For 0–500 Kms, passengers will pay Rs 299
For 501–1000 Kms, passengers will pay Rs 399
For 1001–1500 Kms, passengers will pay Rs 549
For 1501–2000 Kms, passengers will pay Rs 749
For more than 2000 Kms, passengers will pay Rs 899
Air India International Flights To Get More Costlier
International flights are set to get more costly as no such price moderation exists there compared to domestic flights.
Region-wise fuel surcharges for international flights announced by Air India:
For SAARC, excluding Bangladesh, passengers will pay a surcharge of USD 24
For China and Southeast Asia, excluding Singapore, passengers will pay a surcharge of USD 100
For Africa, passengers will pay a surcharge of USD 60
Singapore passengers will pay a surcharge of USD 130
Middle East (aka West Asian) passengers will pay a surcharge of USD 50
For Europe also the United Kingdom, passengers will pay a surcharge of USD 205
For North America, passengers will pay a surcharge of USD 280
For Australia, passengers will pay a surcharge of USD 280
Campbell Wilson Resigns From Air India
The announcement came on a day when the CEO of Air India, Campbell Wilson, resigned from the airline.
Campbell Wilson was appointed on a five-year contract. His tenure as Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Air India is scheduled to conclude in July 2027.
Campbell Wilson was appointed as Chief Executive Officer (CEO) and Managing Director (MD) of Air India in 2022. With over 30 years of rich experience in the aviation industry, he has worked across both full-service and low-cost carriers.
Prior to joining Air India, Wilson served as CEO of Scoot, the wholly-owned low-cost subsidiary of Singapore Airlines (SIA).
He began his career with SIA in 1996 as a Management Trainee in New Zealand. He subsequently held various roles with SIA in Canada, Hong Kong, and Japan, before returning to Singapore in 2011 as the founding CEO of Scoot, a position he held until 2016.
Zubair Amin is a Senior Journalist at NewsX with over seven years of experience in reporting and editorial work. He has written for leading national and international publications, including Foreign Policy Magazine, Al Jazeera, The Economic Times, The Indian Express, The Wire, Article 14, Mongabay, News9, among others. His primary focus is on international affairs, with a strong interest in US politics and policy. He also writes on West Asia, Indian polity, and constitutional issues. Zubair tweets at zubaiyr.amin
