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Airfares likely to rise in April as fuel surcharges take off amid Middle East tensions

Published: 15 Mar. 2026, 20:24 Updated: 16 Mar. 2026, 08:37

A Korean airlines passenger jet takes off at the San Francisco International Airport as seen from Bayfront Park in Burlingame, California, on Nov. 14, 2025. [EPA/YONHAP]

International airfares are likely to rise in April as fuel surcharges increase sharply following a surge in global oil prices linked to prolonged tensions in the Middle East.

Korean airlines will announce international fuel surcharges for April on Monday, with industry officials expecting a sharp increase from this month.

Airline industry officials warned that passengers who issue international tickets next month may pay more than 100,000 won ($67) extra for the same routes compared with this month.

The increase follows a sharp rise in the Singapore kerosene benchmark, known as Mean of Platts Singapore , which airlines use to calculate fuel surcharges.

The average price between Feb. 16 and Sunday is expected to exceed 300 cents per gallon. That figure stands more than 1.5 times higher than the average price of 204.40 cents recorded between Jan. 16 and Feb. 15, before tensions in the Middle East escalated.

Airlines add fuel surcharges to ticket prices to offset rising fuel costs. Carriers calculate the surcharge each month based on distance categories set by the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport.

An Asiana Airlines passenger plane, front, taxis to the gate at Incheon International Airport on Jan. 13. [NEWS1]

For international routes, surcharges apply once the Singapore jet fuel price exceeds 150 cents per gallon. The surcharge level then follows a system of 33 stages depending on fuel prices.

Airlines applied the sixth stage this month, which covers prices between 200 and 209 cents per gallon. If the average price reaches 300 cents, however, the surcharge will jump to the 16th stage next month, marking an increase of 10 stages within a single month.

Higher fuel prices could push the surcharge even further. If the average price exceeds 370 cents per gallon, the surcharge will rise to the 23rd stage.

That level would surpass the previous record of the 22nd stage recorded in July and August 2022, when global oil prices surged following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

Higher surcharge levels will likely increase airfare costs.

Korean Air currently charges international fuel surcharges ranging from 13,500 won ($9) to 99,000 won. Industry officials expect the maximum surcharge to rise by tens of thousands of won next month.

In July and August 2022, when fuel prices surged, airlines charged surcharges ranging from 42,900 won to 325,000 won.

United Airlines jetliners gather on the tarmac to wait for clearance to take off as high winds strafe Denver International Airport in Denver on March 12. [AP/YONHAP]

“Oil price volatility makes it difficult to predict the exact average price,” an airline industry representative said. “However, considering that Singapore jet fuel prices briefly approached $200 per barrel after tensions in the Middle East escalated, the fuel surcharge level could rise by at least 10 stages next month.”

Foreign airlines have already begun raising fuel surcharges.

Hong Kong Airlines increased its fuel surcharge by up to 35.2 percent starting on Thursday, according to Reuters and Bloomberg.

Air India also added a surcharge of 399 rupees ($4.3) on domestic and Middle East routes and plans to raise the fuel surcharge on North American routes by $50, bringing it to $200 starting Wednesday.

This article was originally written in Korean and translated by a bilingual reporter with the help of generative AI tools. It was then edited by a native English-speaking editor. All AI-assisted translations are reviewed and refined by our newsroom.
BY PARK YOUNG-WOO [[email protected]]