Air India flight tickets are all set to become costlier as the airline has announced a fresh expansion of fuel surcharge, amid steep oil prices caused by the on-going Middle East crisis.
The expansion will happen in a phased manner and is applicable to both domestic and internattional routes, Air India said in an official statement on Tuesday. Moreover, the new fuel surcharges will cover travel on all flights, including those operated by Air India Express.
"Since early March 2026, aviation turbine fuel (ATF), which accounts for nearly 40% of an airline's operating costs, has seen significant price escalation due to supply interruptions. In India, this pressure is amplified by high Excise Duty and VAT on ATF in major metro cities such as Delhi and Mumbai, magnifying the impact and placing substantial strain on airline operating economics," Air India stated in its release.
The first phase will be applicable from March 12, 2026. Under the first phase, domestic air travel and travel to SAARC countries which were hitherto free of any additional levies, will attract a surcharge of Rs 399.
Travel to the Middle East will now atttract a $10 surcharge, levies for travelling to South East Asia has risen to $60 from $40, while travel to Africa will attract an additional $90 levy, up from the earlier $60.
Phase 2 of the levies will come into effect from March 18 onwards and essentially hikes fuel surcharges for flights to Europe, North America and Australia.
Travel to Europe will now attract an additional levy of $125, up from $100 imposed earlier. Tickets to Australia and North America will now have an additional $200 charge, up from the earlier $150.
Finally, the last phase of expansion will apply to and from Far East markets, namely Hong Kong, Japan, and South Korea, which will be announced in due course.
In order to avoid confusion or doubts, bookings that have already been made prior to the above times will not attract the new surcharge unless customers seek date or itinerary changes that require a recalculation of the fare, the airline clarified.
In a related development, Air India has also announced that it will operate a total of 58 scheduled and non-scheduled flights jointly with Air India Express, to and from the West Asia region on 11 March 2026.
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