Planes sit on the tarmac at Incheon International Airport on March 16, 2026. Yonhap

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SEOUL, March 16 (AJP) - Airlines are raising their fuel surcharges due to soaring oil prices amid the escalating conflict in the Middle East.

Fuel surcharges are applied on both international and domestic flight routes based on changes in the average price of fuel traded on Singapore's spot market.

According to aviation industry data released on Monday, the average price of Singapore jet fuel, known as MOPS, is projected to reach at least 300 cents per gallon for the period from Feb. 16 to March 15, up from 204 cents the previous month.

It falls into level 18 on the 33-tier fuel surcharge scale, a jump of 12 levels from the current level of 6, the biggest jump since this scale was first implemented in 2016 and also the highest level since October 2022, when it reached level 17 at the height of Russia's war in Ukraine.

Fuel surcharges imposed by airlines are expected to soar by more than threefold. For one-way tickets on Asiana Airlines, surcharges that ranged from 14,600 (US$9.93) to 78,600 Korean won this month, depending on flight routes, are set to jump to between 43,900 and 251,900 won next month.

Flagship carrier Korean Air is expected to adjust its fuel surcharges for April next week, with a sharp increase likely unavoidable.
Kim Su-ji 기자 sujiq@ajunews.com

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