Air tickets costlier from tomorrow

New Delhi, June 2 (UNI) Air travel will become more expensive from tomorrow with Air India and Jet Airways increasing fuel surcharge by Rs 300-500.

Kingfisher, Indigo, SpiceJet and other airlines are also expected to follow suit after oil companies raised aviation turbine fuel (ATF) prices by almost 20 per cent recently, airline sources said today.

With ATF cost per hour of flying rising to Rs 2,11,000 from Rs 1,78,000 after the ATF price hike, the airlines want to recover the extra cost of Rs 33,000 per hour through additional surcharge.

Jet Airways CEO Wolfgang Prock Schauer today said they will increase the fuel surcharge on short-haul flights by Rs 300 (distance less than 750 km) and on long-haul flights by Rs 550 (distance more than 750 km) from tomorrow.

Air India has already announced that it will increase fuel surcharge from Rs 1,950 to Rs 2,250 on short-haul flights and from Rs 2,350 to Rs 2,900 on long-haul flights.

After the unprecendented ATF price hike on Saturday, airlines are also exploring the option of reducing flight frequency on busy routes in an attempt to cut down cost, sources said.

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