Fuel surcharge drops anew

FILE: FEWER TRAVELERS. Fewer passengers are seen at the check-in counter of Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) Terminal 3 on Wednesday (April 13, 2022). Transportation Secretary Art Tugade earlier checked the situation at the airport as passengers booked their flights to the provinces for the Holy Week. (PNA photo by Avito Dalan)

MANILA – Local airlines are hoping that more people would be encouraged to travel as the fuel surcharge for May will further decrease.

The Civil Aeronautics Board (CAB) has announced the lowering of the fuel surcharge, from Level 6 to Level 5, effective May 1 to 31.

Under Level 5, the fuel surcharge for domestic flights ranges from PHP151 to PHP542, depending on the distance. For international flights, the fuel surcharge may range from PHP498 to PHP3,703.

Cebu Pacific president Xander Lao said Tuesday the continuous decrease in fuel surcharge encourages the airline to offer more affordable flights and pointed out that the fuel surcharge level is the lowest since May 2022.

“We hope this will motivate our passengers to push through with their travel plans for the summer,” he told the Philippine News Agency (PNA).

Philippine Airlines (PAL) spokesperson Cielo Villaluna, on the other hand, said CAB’s announcement is a welcome development.

“PAL will faithfully comply with this latest fuel surcharge level that applies to tickets to be purchased in the month of May. We thank our customers for their continued support and loyalty,” she said.

Low-cost carrier AirAsia Philippines, in a statement, said any form of reduction in air travel costs is a big help for all its passengers as they can allot this for additional baggage allowance.

In an advisory signed on April 17, CAB Director Carmelo Arcilla said airlines wishing to impose or collect fuel surcharge must file their application with his office on or before the effectivity period.