More foreign airlines seek higher fuel surcharge

MANILA, Philippines - More foreign airlines are seeking to impose higher fuel surcharge, with Emirates and Thai Airways International Public Company Ltd. filling separate applications before the Civil Aeronautics Board (CAB), due to rising prices of jet fuel in the world market.

Emirates has filed a petition before the CAB seeking to impose an upward adjustment of fuel charge on all international passenger tickets for various destinations to the Middle East, Europe, Australia, Africa as well as North and South America.

The airline intends to increase the fuel surcharge to $140 per one-way ticket from the current rate of $105 on economy class and to $270 from $105 for business class flights to GCC, Middle East, Far East, and Australia.

It also wants to jack up the fuel surcharge to $155 from $105 for economy class, and to $300 from $105 for business class flights to all other regions including Europe, Africa, North and South America.

On the other hand, Thai Airways is seeking the green light from the CAB to raise fuel surcharge to $72 from $58 for first class and business class flights between Manila and Bangkok.

However, the airline said the fuel surcharge for premium and economy class for flights between Manila and Bangkok would remain unchanged at $58 per passenger.

Emirates offers flights to Dubai from more than 100 destinations around the world, operating the very latest aircraft, while Thai Airways is the national carrier of Thailand, operating domestic, regional and intercontinental flights radiating from its home base in Bangkok to key destinations around the world.

Earlier, Cathay Pacific Airways Ltd. and Dragon Airlines Ltd of Hong Kong sought an eight percent to 11 percent increase in fuel surcharge imposed on international passenger tickets.

Based on their petitions, Cathay Pacific and Dragonair intends to impose an 8.7 percent increase in fuel charges to $135.50 from the current $124.70 for flights between Hong Kong and South West Pacific, North America, Europe, Middle East, Asian Sub-Continent including same-day transit in Bangkok and Singapore.

Both airlines are also seeking an 11 percent increase in surcharge to $31.20 from the current $28.10 beyond those routes.

Cathay Pacific flies along the Hong Kong-Manila route 37 times a week and seven times between Hong Kong and Cebu City, while Dragonair has daily flights between Clark Freeport and Hong Kong as well as services the Manila-Hong Kong route seven times a week.

Airlines seeking to adjust their fuel charges based on the movement of jet fuel prices in the world market need to file an application with the CAB.