Air travelers will pay lower fuel surcharges on domestic and international flights in the first half of July after the Civil Aeronautics Board (CAB) rolled back the airline fuel surcharge to Level 9, easing travel costs following weeks of elevated charges driven by high jet fuel prices.

Based on the agency’s latest advisory, the lower surcharge will apply to flights departing between 1 and 15 July, down from the Level 12 imposed during 16 to 30 June.

Above Level 4

Despite the reduction, surcharge levels remain significantly above the Level 4 imposed in February, before turmoil in the Middle East sent global oil and aviation fuel prices soaring.

The CAB said airlines must secure approval before collecting the surcharge and may not impose rates beyond the regulator’s prescribed level.

Domestic flights

For domestic flights, passengers will pay fuel surcharges ranging from P287 to P839 per one-way ticket, depending on distance, compared with P389 to P1,137 under the previous Level 12.

International travelers will also see lower charges. Flights to nearby destinations such as Taiwan, Hong Kong, Vietnam, Cambodia and Brunei will carry a maximum fuel surcharge of P947.39, down from P1,284.40.

Flights to Indonesia, Japan, South Korea and India will be charged up to P1,310.26, down from P1,776.36.

Longer-haul routes

For longer-haul routes, the maximum fuel surcharge for flights to Australia and the Middle East will fall to P3,259.86 from P4,419.50, while flights to North America, the United Kingdom and the Netherlands will see the surcharge decline to P6,708.83 from P9,095.37.

Flights exceeding 14,000 kilometers will carry a maximum fuel surcharge of P7,044.27, down from P9,550.13, based on the CAB’s fuel surcharge matrix.

Fuel surcharges are additional fees collected by airlines to recover fluctuations in aviation fuel costs and are charged separately from the base airfare.