Fuel surcharges levied by South Korean airlines have seen a dramatic increase, as much as tripling from March to April, due to soaring global oil prices. Industry experts reported the significant rise on Wednesday.
Korean Air, a leading airline in South Korea, has increased its one-way international fuel surcharge to a range of 42,000 won ($27.9) to 303,000 won for April. This marks a substantial jump from the previous month’s range of 13,500 won to 99,000 won in March.
On long-haul routes, including flights to New York, Chicago, Washington, and Toronto, the fuel surcharge has surged 3.1 times to 303,000 won.
Asiana Airlines has also followed suit, raising its fuel surcharge to a range of 43,900 won to 251,900 won for April, compared to 14,600 won to 78,600 won in March.
Low-cost carriers, which typically charge fuel surcharges in US dollars, have also significantly increased their rates. Jeju Air, for instance, has increased its surcharges to between $29 and $68, up from $9 to $22 the previous month.
Industry analysts are concerned that with international oil prices continuing their upward trend, fuel surcharges in May could rise even further. This could potentially push surcharges on routes to the United States to as high as 500,000 won.
Some observers suggest that airlines may consider further reducing flight operations to mitigate losses, as passing the increased fuel costs onto passengers may become unsustainable.
