Air India fuel surcharge from October 9: Domestic rates, international charges and which bookings are affected
Air India’s fuel surcharge from October 9, 2026, is ₹400 to ₹1,200 for a one-way domestic sector, depending on distance. Its listed international surcharges range from US$55 to US$215 by region. The revised rates apply to new bookings made from 11 a.m. India Standard Time (IST) on October 9 for Air India. Air India Express uses the same announced rates, but its new-booking cutoff was midnight IST. Tickets booked before the relevant cutoff are not subject to this newly revised surcharge merely because the flight departs later.
Air India and Air India Express: domestic fuel surcharge
Both airlines announced the following revised charges for one-way domestic sectors:
| Flight distance | Fuel surcharge |
|---|---|
| 0–500 km | ₹400 |
| 501–1,000 km | ₹600 |
| 1,001–1,500 km | ₹850 |
| More than 1,500 km | ₹1,200 |
These are the revised surcharge amounts, not the amount by which every ticket rises. A previous fuel surcharge may already have formed part of the fare. The price a traveler pays also depends on the base fare and other applicable charges.
Where do Air India’s international charges vary?
Air India and Air India Express published one-way rates for the following regions on itineraries departing from or arriving in India. The international charge is based on the route category rather than the domestic distance bands:
| Region | Revised fuel surcharge |
|---|---|
| North America | US$215 |
| Australia | US$210 |
| Europe, including the UK | US$135 |
| West Asia/Middle East | US$55 |
The airlines’ announcement lists these regions; it does not provide a single new rate for every international destination. Check the fare breakdown for the particular itinerary before paying.
Akasa Air fuel surcharge from October 9
Akasa Air’s separate changes apply to new bookings from 12:01 a.m. IST on October 9, 2026. Its new domestic surcharge is ₹375 for sectors up to 500 km, ₹600 for 501–1,000 km, ₹900 for 1,001–1,500 km and ₹1,150 for sectors of 1,501 km or more.
On international routes, Akasa revised its existing surcharge to ₹2,500 one-way for travel between India and Kuwait, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Thailand or Vietnam. Unlike its domestic charge, the announced rate is the same across those six route categories. It should not be taken as a rate for every international itinerary.
Will existing flight tickets cost more?
The October 9 revisions are framed around when a new booking is made, not when the passenger flies. Someone who had already booked and paid before their airline’s cutoff is not newly charged the revised surcharge simply for holding that ticket. If a traveler later changes or rebooks a trip, the amount payable may depend on the fare offered and the booking’s change terms; they should review the updated total before confirming.
Flight tickets on affected new bookings can cost more as airlines pass on part of higher aviation fuel costs, though a surcharge does not establish a fixed increase in the final price of every ticket. For comparison, IndiGo’s separate revised fuel charges began applying to its new bookings on October 6, 2026—not October 9. Travelers comparing airlines should look at the full checkout price for the same journey, rather than the fuel charge alone.
