Airline passengers will see slightly cheaper flights in the second half of May after the Civil Aeronautics Board (CAB) lowered the fuel surcharge level for domestic and international flights to Level 15 amid easing jet fuel prices.

In an advisory on Tuesday, the Department of Transportation-attached agency said a reduced surcharge, effective 16 to 31 May, is another rollback from Level 18 in the first half of May and Level 19 in the latter half of April, trimming hundreds of pesos from airline add-on charges.

“Airlines wishing to impose or collect fuel surcharge for the same period must file their application with this Office on or before the effectivity period, with fuel surcharge rates not exceeding the above-stated level,” the advisory read.

Under the Level 15 matrix, domestic fuel surcharges now range from P491 to P1,436 per passenger for one-way flights, depending on distance. This is lower than the P593 to P1,734 imposed under Level 18 and the P627 to P1,834 under Level 19.

For international flights, passengers traveling to nearby Asian destinations such as Taiwan, Hong Kong, Vietnam, Cambodia, and Brunei will pay a fuel surcharge of P1,621.42 under Level 15, down from P1,958.44 under Level 18 and P2,070.77 under Level 19.

Flights to China will carry a surcharge of P2,201.47, while routes to Singapore, Thailand, and Malaysia will have P2,424.46. Passengers traveling to Japan, South Korea, and Indonesia will pay P2,522.31.

Long-haul travelers will also benefit from the lower rates. 

Flights to Australia and the Middle East will carry a surcharge of P5,579.13, while passengers bound for North America, the United Kingdom, and the Netherlands will pay P11,481.90. Routes exceeding 14,000 kilometers will have a surcharge of P12,056.

CAB earlier said the lower surcharge level for the second half of May was driven by declining jet fuel prices in the global market.