IndiGo’s flight ticket prices may increase by up to ₹10,000:Airline hikes fuel charges following rise in global oil prices

The country’s largest airline company IndiGo’s flights will become expensive from Thursday. The airline has imposed an additional fuel charge of up to ?950 on domestic flights and up to ₹10,000 on international flights. The new prices will be effective from April 2 at 12:01 AM. IndiGo has decided to increase fuel surcharge on domestic and international flights for the second time in 18 days. Earlier, the company had also increased fares on March 14. According to the company, this decision has been taken due to the increase in prices of Aviation Turbine Fuel (ATF), i.e., jet fuel. According to the International Air Transport Association (IATA), fuel prices have increased by more than 130% in the last one month. Charges will be levied according to distance The Ministry of Civil Aviation has prevented airlines from passing on the entire burden to customers. The government has currently allowed only a 25% increase in fares for domestic flights. According to IndiGo, they have ‘re-calibrated’ the fuel charge according to distance, meaning the longer your journey, the more fuel charge you will have to pay for the ticket. Approval for ₹50 per liter additional duty on fuel A major reason for the cost increase is also the rise in taxes. On Wednesday, a proposal to impose additional excise duty on Aviation Turbine Fuel (ATF) was passed in the Rajya Sabha. Under this proposal, the notification dated March 26, 2026 has been approved. Now, by amending the Finance Act 2002, an additional excise duty of ₹50 per liter will be imposed on ATF. Jet fuel is the biggest expense for airlines Due to rising jet fuel prices, airlines worldwide have not only increased ticket prices but have also withdrawn their future financial outlooks. Jet fuel is the biggest expense for airlines. Its share in total operating costs is 30% to 40%. This sudden change in oil prices has disrupted airlines’ budgets. Major companies like Air New Zealand and Qantas have also made it clear that they will pass on the burden of increased costs to passengers. These airlines worldwide have also increased fares Air New Zealand: Air New Zealand announced a significant increase in its ticket prices on Tuesday. The company has raised one-way fares for domestic flights by 10 New Zealand dollars. Meanwhile, short-haul international flights have been increased by 20 dollars and long-haul flights by 90 dollars. The company has also withdrawn its earnings forecast for 2026 due to significant market volatility. Hong Kong Airlines: Hong Kong Airlines is set to increase fuel surcharges by up to 35.2% from Thursday. For countries like Maldives, Bangladesh, and Nepal, this surcharge has been raised from 284 Hong Kong dollars to 384 Hong Kong dollars. Meanwhile, Cathay Pacific has launched additional flights to London and Zurich in March to provide options for passengers on affected routes. The company is currently reviewing fuel surcharges every month. Qantas and SAS: Australia’s flag carrier Qantas Airways has increased fares on its international routes. However, the company says that flights to Europe are running at over 90% capacity, so they are considering increasing capacity in the coming months. SAS (Scandinavian Airlines), the major airline of the Nordic countries i.e. Northern Europe, has also implemented a temporary price adjustment in view of rising costs.