CHENNAI: IndiGo has raised fuel charges on domestic and international flights amid a sustained increase in Aviation Turbine Fuel (ATF) prices, with the revised charges applicable to all new bookings made from 12.01am on October 6.Under the revised domestic structure, the fuel charge will range from Rs 375 for flights up to 500km to Rs 1,300 for flights exceeding 2,000km. The charges for flights of 501-1,000km, 1,001-1,500km and 1,501-2,000km will be Rs 600, Rs 900 and Rs 1,150 respectively.The earlier charges were Rs 275, Rs 400, Rs 600, Rs 800 and Rs 950 respectively for the five distance slabs. The latest revision therefore raises the domestic fuel component by Rs 100 to Rs 350 per sector.The airline said ATF prices had remained volatile in recent months, particularly amid geopolitical developments in the Middle East. The latest month-on-month increase of more than 14% has pushed ATF costs to among their highest levels in the past decade, it said.For international flights, the fuel charge for SAARC destinations will be Rs 1,000 for journeys up to 500km and Rs 3,000 for those beyond 500km. Flights to Southeast Asia, the GCC and the Middle East, and North and East Asia will attract a Rs 5,500 charge, while the charge for Africa will be Rs 6,000. The fuel charge for Europe will remain at Rs 10,000.The April charges for international flights ranged from Rs 900 to Rs 10,000, depending on the destination and distance.IndiGo said the increase was necessitated by the impact of higher fuel costs on airline operations and network economics. Aviation fuel constitutes a significant portion of an airline’s operating costs, making carriers particularly vulnerable to sharp movements in fuel prices.The airline had introduced fuel charges in March following a sharp increase in jet fuel prices and subsequently recalibrated them in April.
