More foreign airlines seek higher fuel surcharge

MANILA, Philippines - More foreign airlines are seeking the green light from the Civil Aeronautics Board (CAB) to impose higher fuel surcharge on international passengers on the back of rising prices of aviation fuel in the world market.

Three foreign airlines including China Airlines, China Eastern Airlines, and All Nippon Airways Co. Ltd have filed separate petitions before the CAB seeking an authority to impose upward adjustment of fuel surcharge on international passengers.

China Airlines is asking the CAB to allow the airline to impose a 6.7 percent increase in fuel surcharge to $32 from $30 on all international passengers originating from the Philippines.

All Nippon Airways is seeking to hike its fuel surcharge by 13.3 percent to $170 from $150 for all passengers between the Philippines and the US including Hawaii, Canada, and Mexico via Japan.

On the other hand, China Eastern Airlines is seeking the green light from the CAB to impose fuel surcharge as well as cargo and insurance surcharge on international passengers between Manila and Shanghai.

The airline intends to impose a $90 fuel surcharge on all business class passengers as well as $75 on all economy class passengers. It also intends to impose a $0.50 per kilogram fuel surcharge and $0.15 per kilogram insurance surcharge.

The CAB allows airlines to impose fuel surcharge on international and domestic passengers as a temporary relief to help them recover losses arising from the increase in jet fuel prices in the world market.

Latest results of the Jet Fuel Price Monitor of the International Air Transportation Association (IATA) showed that the price of jet fuel averaged $113.5 per barrel as of April 19, nearing the full year target of $128.7 per barrel set by IATA.

China Airlines has a fleet of 72 Airbus and Boeing aircraft and flies to 113 destinations in 28 countries including the Philippines while China Eastern Airlines is based in Shanghai with a fleet of 397 aircraft.

On the other hand, All Nippon Airways is based in Tokyo and has a fleet of 226 aircraft.