THE Civil Aeronautics Board (CAB) lowered the passenger fuel surcharge to Level 15 for the second half of May from Level 18 previously, although surcharge rates remain near the upper end of the regulator’s pricing matrix amid continued volatility in global jet fuel prices.
In an advisory issued Tuesday and signed by Officer-in-Charge Maria Elben S.L. Moro, the regulator said the surcharge level for May 16-31 is five notches below the utmost Level 20 cap.
At Level 15, fuel surcharges range from P491 to P1,436 for domestic flights and from P1,621.42 to P12,056 for international flights, depending on distance.
Fuel surcharges are additional fees imposed by airlines to offset movements in jet fuel prices and are adjusted using the Mean of Platts Singapore benchmark.
Based on the CAB’s fuel surcharge matrix, passengers traveling from the Philippines to Taiwan, Hong Kong, Vietnam, Cambodia, and Brunei from May 16 to 31 can pay an extra P1,621.42 in fuel surcharge.
Passengers flying to Singapore, Thailand, Malaysia, and Guam can pay an extra P2,242.46, while those traveling to North America, the UK, and the Netherlands can pay P11,481.90.
In April, the CAB shifted from a monthly review of fuel surcharges to a 15-day monitoring cycle to reply more quickly to movements in fuel prices following tensions within the Middle East.
The interim measure will remain in effect until conditions within the Middle East stabilize or until revised or revoked, CAB Executive Director Carmelo L. Arcilla said previously.
For airlines collecting surcharges in foreign currency through the May 16-31 period, CAB set the equivalent exchange rate at P61.18 to the dollar.
Data from the Department of Energy showed the Philippines had 73 days of accessible jet fuel supply as of May 8.
In response to the International Air Transport Association, jet fuel prices declined 10.1% week on week to $162.89 per barrel as of May 8, although prices remained 80.9% higher 12 months on 12 months.
Meanwhile, Philippine Airlines (PAL) said it’s extending the suspension of flights to and from Doha until June 30 from the sooner suspension period ending May 31. The flag carrier can be extending the suspension of Dubai flights until Aug. 2.
“With unpredictable conditions — including restricted airspace, sudden closures, and limited routing options — we’re taking a more cautious approach based on our safety assessment, recognizing that operating conditions vary by airline,” PAL said in an advisory.
The airline cited escalating tensions within the region and risks to critical infrastructure as reasons for extending the flight cancellations.
PAL earlier suspended the Doha and Dubai routes from March 20 to April 30 before extending the suspension until May 31.
Affected passengers may avail themselves of free rebooking, travel credit conversion, or refunds, the airline said.
PAL said refund processing for tickets booked directly with the airline may take about eight days on account of the amount of requests, while posting time may take between two and 4 weeks.
The airline added that flights to Riyadh remain operational while it continues to evaluate operating conditions within the region. — Ashley Erika O. Jose