Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) on Thursday said it is raising fuel surcharges on domestic and international flights after fuel costs jumped 34% due to the ongoing Gulf crisis.
The airline will increase the surcharge by $20 on domestic routes and up to $100 for overseas flights, a PIA spokesman said.
The crisis has disrupted operations, with 165 flights cancelled over the past 12 days. More than 500 domestic and international flights were also grounded over the past three days, stranding thousands of passengers.
Rising oil prices linked to the Iran war are driving the surge in jet fuel costs, which account for a major portion of airline expenses. Brent crude traded near $100 per barrel on Thursday, while spot Northwest European jet fuel was $1,536 per metric ton, close to the intra-day record of $1,633 reached earlier this week.
The regional conflict has impacted airlines globally. Carriers from Qatar, Kuwait, and the UAE—including Etihad, Air Arabia, Flydubai, Qatar Airways, Emirates, and Kuwait Airways—have cancelled about 2,381 flights daily, affecting hundreds of thousands of passengers.
Between March 1 and March 10, only around 50 flights operated, resulting in roughly 23,810 cancellations during the period, according to The Express Tribune.
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