Air India’s surcharge hike to burden passengers further amid already soaring airfares

For common people who are forced to remain in West Asian countries amid the escalating war between Iran and the alliance of the U.S. and Israel, air travel is becoming increasingly unaffordable, with fares surging by as much as 50–100% on various domestic and international routes.

The latest decision by Air India to revise the fuel surcharge structure across domestic and international routes, effective from Wednesday (April 8), has come as a blow to passengers travelling to and from Kerala, as Air India is the sector leader on Kerala–West Asia routes.

Airfares are already exorbitantly high due to the partial closure of airspaces in various GCC countries. As per Air India’s decision, on domestic routes, the airline will introduce a distance-based fuel surcharge from April 8, replacing the earlier flat rate. On international routes, it has enforced a surcharge of $50 per passenger for the West Asia sector, while Europe (including the UK) will attract a surcharge of $205, and North America and Australia $280 each.

The revised charges for Europe, North America, and Australia will be effective from April 10. Airfares across different sectors are already straining the passengers’ finances. For instance, a budget airline ticket from Abu Dhabi to Kochi on April 8 ranges from ₹65,034 to ₹76,910, while fares on full-service airlines like Etihad are priced at ₹90,733 on the same day.

On the other hand, airfares from Kerala to the UAE are relatively lower compared to flights in the opposite direction. For example, a Kochi–Abu Dhabi Air India Express ticket is available for ₹25,163, while full-service flights to Dubai from Kochi, such as Emirates, charge ₹40,526, and Etihad charges ₹1,12,610 on the same day.

Airfares are beyond the reach of common people on domestic routes as well. A Delhi–Kochi flight ticket ranges from ₹13,501 to ₹22,550 on April 8. Under the revised structure for domestic routes, Air India passengers will have to pay a surcharge ranging from ₹299 to ₹899, depending on the distance slab for each destination.

According to airline officials, the Iran war has significantly increased the price of crude oil and aviation turbine fuel (ATF), forcing airlines to impose surcharges and raise airfares across the country. However, Air India stated that the fuel surcharges on international routes do not fully compensate for the exponential increase in jet fuel prices, and the airline continues to absorb a significant portion of the additional cost.

The airline also said it will review its surcharges periodically and make appropriate adjustments as required. The airline recently announced that the number of international services to Kerala will increase to 231, and the number of domestic services to 245 in 2026. However, the airlines are operating less than 50% of their scheduled services between Kerala and West Asia due to the airspace restrictions.