The airside area of Ninoy Aquino International Airport Terminal 1.
Air travelers will face another round of higher fares after the Civil Aeronautics Board raised the passenger fuel surcharge to Level 19 for the second half of April, placing the adjustment just one step below the highest rate allowed under current rules.
In an advisory that took effect on April 16, the CAB increased the surcharge from Level 8, which had been applied from April 1 to 15. The new rate is also significantly higher than the earlier Level 4 imposed before tensions in the Middle East drove fuel costs upward.
With the Level 19 adjustment, the fuel surcharge for domestic flights now ranges from P627 to P1,834. During the first half of April, the added charge was only between P253 and P787.
For international travel, the surcharge now ranges from P2,070.77 to P15,397.15, a sharp increase from the previous P835.05 to P6,208.98.
The CAB described the move as a temporary measure that will remain in place until market conditions improve or until regulators decide to revise or withdraw it.
Under existing regulations, Level 20 is the highest surcharge band that may be imposed. At that level, domestic fuel surcharges would range from P661 to P1,993, while international charges would climb to between P2,183.11 and P16,232.44.
The fuel surcharge is collected on top of the base fare and is not automatically fixed, as airlines may choose whether to impose it. CAB rules also provide that the surcharge may be removed if the average price of jet fuel for one month falls below P21 per liter.