Price hikes, outlook cuts: What airlines are doing as fuel costs surge

A surge in jet fuel prices driven by the US-Israeli war on Iran has upended the global aviation industry, forcing airlines to raise fares and revise financial outlooks.

Jet fuel prices have soared from US$85 (S$108) to US$90 per barrel to US$150 to US$200 per barrel in recent weeks, a financial hit for an industry where fuel accounts for up to a quarter of operating expenses.

Below is a list of how airlines are responding, in alphabetical order:

Aegean Airlines 

The Greek airline expects suspended Middle East flights and a spike in fuel prices to have a "notable impact" on its first-quarter results.

Airasia X

The Malaysian airline's executives said the company had cut 10 per cent of flights across the group, with a surcharge of about 20 per cent on fuel in general.

Air France-KLM

The airline group said it planned to increase long-haul ticket prices to address surging fuel costs, with cabin fares set to rise by 50 euros (S$74) per round trip.

Air India

The Indian flag carrier said it would revise its fuel surcharge from a flat domestic surcharge to a distance-based grid. 

It said surcharges on international routes did not compensate for the exponential rise in jet fuel prices.

Air New Zealand

The airline said on April 7 it would slash flights through May and June and hike fares, having been one of the first to announce broad increases to ticket prices when the conflict broke out. 

It also suspended its full-year earnings forecast due to fuel market volatility.

Akasa Air

India's Akasa Air said it was introducing a fuel surcharge ranging between 199 (S$2.74) and 1,300 Indian rupees on domestic and international flights.

Alaska Air

The US airline said it would increase fees for the first checked bag by US$5 and by US$10 for the second on its North American flights, as well as for its Hawaiian Airlines unit. 

It hiked prices for a third checked bag from US$50 to US$200.

American Airlines

The US carrier said it would hike checked baggage fees by US$10 each for the first and second checked bags and by US$150 for the third checked bag on domestic and short-haul international flights. 

The airline also trimmed certain benefits for economy passengers.

It had earlier said it expected a US$400 million increase in first-quarter expenses due to the fuel prices.

Cathay Pacific

The Hong Kong airline said it would hike its fuel surcharge by 34 per cent across routes from April 1 and review them every two weeks. 

The carrier's CEO said it would maintain flight capacity despite the high fuel prices, but that its 10 per cent passenger capacity growth plan could change if demand declines due to high fuel prices.

Cebu Air

The Philippines-based airline said the sharp rise in fuel prices was a key concern and it would continue to review its pricing and network strategies to mitigate the impact.

China Eastern Airlines

The airline said it would raise fuel surcharges for domestic flights from April 5, with flights of 800km and below hit with a 60 yuan (S$11.20) surcharge and a 120 yuan surcharge for flights over 800km.

Delta air lines

Delta said it would cut capacity by around 3.5 percentage points from its original plan and raise fees for checked bags in an attempt to offset soaring jet fuel costs, with an increase of US$10 on the price of first and second checked bags and a US$50 increase on the third checked bag.

The US airline pulled all planned capacity growth for the current quarter and forecast profit below Wall Street expectations. 

Delta CEO said it would hold off on updating the full-year outlook given uncertainty over how long the fuel price spike would last.

EasyJet

EasyJet CEO Kenton Jarvis said European consumers should expect higher ticket prices towards the end of summer, when existing fuel hedges come to an end.

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Frontier Airlines 

The US airline is reviewing its full-year forecast as fuel prices have increased significantly since it issued the outlook.

Greater Bay Airlines

The Hong Kong-based company said it would raise fuel surcharges on most routes from April 1, while keeping them unchanged on mainland China and Japan routes.

Its surcharge for flights between Hong Kong and the Philippines will more than double, the carrier said.

Hong Kong Airlines

The airline said it would raise fuel surcharges by up to 35 per cent from March 12, with the sharpest increase on flights between Hong Kong and the Maldives, Bangladesh and Nepal, where charges would rise to HK$384 (S$62.50) from HK$284.

IAG

British Airways-owner IAG said on March 10 it did not plan to increase ticket prices immediately, as it has hedged much of its fuel for the short- to medium-term.

Indigo 

India's biggest airline said it would introduce fuel charges on domestic and international flights from March 14, including a charge of 900 rupees for flights to the Middle East and a charge of 2,300 rupees for flights to Europe.

The company is also lobbying the Indian government to cut fuel taxes, sources told Reuters.

Jetblue Airways 

The US-based low-cost carrier said it was increasing fees for optional services such as checked baggage as it experiences "rising operating costs". 

Baggage prices will rise by either US$4 or US$9, it said.

Korean Air

The South Korean flag carrier will enter emergency management mode from April, as rising oil prices weigh on costs, a source with knowledge of the matter told Reuters. 

The airline plans to implement phased response measures based on oil price levels, and step up company-wide cost efficiency to offset surging fuel costs.

Pakistan International Airlines

The carrier said it would raise domestic flight fares by US$20 and international fares by up to US$100, citing higher fuel surcharges.

SAS

The Scandinavian airline said it would cancel 1,000 flights in April because of high oil and jet fuel prices, after cancelling a "couple hundred" flights in March.

SAS, which had already increased flight prices, said that even if it tried to absorb the rising fuel costs, the price surge would still be a blow to the aviation industry.

Spring Airlines

The budget Chinese airline said it would raise fuel surcharges on domestic flights from April 5, with details to be announced later.

Southwest Airlines

The American carrier said it would hike checked baggage fees by US$10 for the first and second bags, raising costs to US$45 for the first bag and US$55 for the second.

TAP

The Portuguese airline said its price hikes would partially mitigate the impact of fuel price changes on its revenue.

Thai Airways

The Thailand-based carrier said it would raise fares by 10 per cent to 15 per cent to address rising fuel costs.

Turkish Airlines, Lufthansa 

SunExpress, a joint venture between Turkish Airlines and Lufthansa, said it would impose a temporary fuel surcharge of 10 euros per passenger from May 1 on routes between Turkey and Europe. 

The surcharge will apply to bookings made on or after April 1 for departures on or after May 1.

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United Airlines

The US airline is cutting unprofitable flights over the next two quarters as it prepares for oil prices to remain above US$100 until the end of 2027, CEO Scott Kirby said.

United has been able to raise fares without materially hurting bookings in response to the rapid increase in oil and jet fuel prices, Chief Commercial Officer Andrew Nocella said.

The carrier is also increasing first and second checked bag fees by US$10 for customers travelling in the US, Mexico and Canada and Latin America, it said in an e-mailed statement to Reuters.

VietJet

The Vietnamese budget airline said it had adjusted flight frequency on selected routes due to potential fuel shortages.

Vietnam Airlines

The carrier plans to cancel 23 flights per week across domestic routes from April, Vietnam's aviation authority said, after the airline requested government assistance to remove an environmental tax on jet fuel.

Virgin Australia

Virgin Australia said it was adjusting fares to reflect rising cost pressures across the aviation sector, which it said were being significantly exacerbated by the situation in the Middle East.

WestJet

The Canadian airline will add a C$60 (S$55) fuel surcharge to some bookings and combine flights as costs soar, the Canadian Press reported.

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