Starting from midnight on May 16, the fuel surcharge for domestic routes in China will once again be increased, leading to an increase in travel costs for the public.
According to a report by The Paper on May 12, 9 Air announced that starting from midnight on May 16, the fuel surcharge for domestic routes will be raised. For routes of 800 kilometers or less, each passenger will be charged 90 yuan; for routes over 800 kilometers, each passenger will be charged 170 yuan.
Compared to the current standards, passengers on routes of 800 kilometers or less will have to pay an additional 30 yuan, while routes over 800 kilometers will incur an additional charge of 50 yuan.
The report also mentioned that infants will be exempt from the fuel surcharge; children and passengers who enjoy discounted fares will be charged half price, 40 yuan for routes of 800 kilometers or less, and 80 yuan for routes over 800 kilometers.
Since the resumption of the fuel surcharge for domestic routes in China in February 2022, the standards have been adjusted multiple times. The last adjustment to the fuel surcharge for domestic routes was on April 5 this year.
A report by 21st Century Business Herald on the same day stated that on the afternoon of May 12, some ticket agents received pricing adjustment notices from airlines, which were consistent with the above standards. However, as of the time of the report, major airlines such as Air China, China Southern Airlines, and China Eastern Airlines had not yet issued similar notices to agents.
The report also pointed out that the increase in fuel surcharges will have a more noticeable impact on holiday travel. Data on ticket prices provided by the flight management platform Flight Butler for the “May Day” holiday period shows that although the base ticket prices have not significantly increased, the fuel surcharge has risen substantially, resulting in an overall increase in ticket prices, weakening the willingness of the public to travel.