# Air India hikes fuel surcharge on domestic, international routes 2026-10-08T20:22:03+00:00 | Governance | Indian Opinion Desk Corroboration: 1 independent outlet Air India and Air India Express have increased fuel surcharges on domestic and select international routes, effective 9 October. The move follows rising aviation turbine fuel (ATF) prices, driven by geopolitical tensions in the Middle East and a strong dollar, which have pushed up airlines’ operating costs, where fuel accounts for about 40% of the total. For domestic flights, the surcharge is Rs 850 for distances between 1,001 and 1,500 km and Rs 1,200 for over 1,501 km. On international routes, the surcharge is $215 for North America, $210 for Australia, $135 for Europe (including the UK), with separate charges for West Asia and the Middle East. The new surcharge applies to bookings made from 00:00 IST on 9 October for Air India Express and from 11:00 IST for Air India. ## Indian Opinion Analysis Fuel surcharges, which can make up 40% of an airline’s operating cost, are being passed directly to passengers. The new charges apply not only to domestic routes but also to key international destinations, with North America flights attracting a $215 surcharge. This follows a similar move by IndiGo, suggesting industry-wide cost pressures. Air India’s new surcharge kicks in for bookings made from 11:00 IST on 9 October, while Air India Express’ applies from midnight the same day. ## Coverage - aajtak.in Leads with global crisis framing, not government blame This brief was synthesised by AI from the source linked above. Tags: Air India, Air India Express, ATF, IndiGo Canonical: https://indianopinion.org/air-india-hikes-fuel-surcharge-on-domestic-international-routes/ License: Summary and commentary (c) Indian Opinion, reusable with attribution. Facts belong to the linked sources. Cite: https://indianopinion.org/air-india-hikes-fuel-surcharge-on-domestic-international-routes/#story-in-brief How this brief was made: an AI model read the report linked above and wrote this summary and analysis, which were published automatically. Published briefs are sampled every hour by an automated quality check; the editor verifies its findings and approves corrections, and corrected briefs carry a dated correction line. We do no original reporting. Methodology: https://indianopinion.org/ai-use-policy/