Air India, Air India Express and Akasa Air will levy higher fuel surcharges from 9 October, following IndiGo’s second increase since March, as carriers pass on a sharp jump in aviation turbine fuel costs linked to the West Asia conflict.
Domestic passengers on the Air India group will now pay ₹400–₹1,200 depending on distance, up 34–60 per cent from the previous bands. Akasa has switched to a distance-based domestic charge of ₹375–₹1,150 and set a flat ₹2,500 on several short-haul international routes. International surcharges on the Air India group have also edged higher, though they remain below the peaks set in April.
ATF typically accounts for about 40 per cent of an Indian airline’s operating costs. Prices in Delhi have climbed from roughly ₹110 a litre to about ₹137, including a 13 per cent rise in October alone, after the conflict that began in late February disrupted global crude supplies.
IndiGo’s revised charges took effect for new bookings from 7 October. Air India and Air India Express apply their new rates from 9 October; Akasa’s new structure starts the same day.
For the Air India group, the domestic bands now stand at ₹400 (up to 500 km), ₹600 (501–1,000 km), ₹850 (1,001–1,500 km) and ₹1,200 (1,501 km and above). On international routes the group has raised the North America and Australia surcharge to $215 from $200, Europe including the UK to $135 from $125, and West Asia to $55 from $50. Those figures are still well below the April highs of $280 for North America/Australia and higher Europe rates.
Akasa’s new domestic scale replaces an earlier duration-based levy: ₹375 up to 500 km, ₹600 for 501–1,000 km, ₹900 for 1,001–1,500 km and ₹1,150 beyond that. Internationally it has set a uniform ₹2,500 on flights to Kuwait, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Thailand and Vietnam.
Both groups cited sustained pressure from geopolitical volatility and elevated energy prices. The Air India group said the latest fuel increase had further raised operating costs, while Akasa described its move as a measured step to offset part of the impact.
The coordinated rises mean most major Indian carriers are now recovering a larger share of the ATF spike through ticket add-ons, with the biggest percentage jumps on medium-haul domestic sectors.
