By Tyrone C. Piad, Inquirer Business
Airfares are set to go down next month as the Civil Aeronautics Board (CAB) has lowered the fuel surcharge that local carriers can collect.
In a resolution issued on Tuesday, the CAB reduced the passenger and cargo fuel surcharge to Level 9 from the current Level 12.
Under Level 9, each passenger will be slapped a fuel surcharge of P287 to P839 for domestic flights and P947.39 to P7,044.27 for international flights.
These are lower than the Level 12 fuel surcharge of P389 to P1,137 per passenger for domestic flights; and P1,284.40 to P9,550.13 for international flights.
With this, passengers will pay next month an additional P410 for flights from Manila to Caticlan and Kalibo and P571 for flights to Iloilo, Bacolod and Puerto Princesa. Coming from Manila, fuel surcharge to be imposed for flights to Dumaguete, Tagbilaran, Surigao and Siargao amounts to P726.
Passengers flying to Taiwan, Hong Kong, Vietnam, Cambodia and Brunei will pay an additional P947.39. For flights to Singapore, Thailand, Malaysia and Guam, the charge is P1,310.26 while airlines may collect from each passenger P6,708.83 for flights to North America, United Kingdom and Netherlands.
The regulator slashed the fuel surcharge after the price of jet fuel declined to P46.73 a liter based on its latest monitoring from P54.73 a liter.
Fuel surcharges are additional fees that airlines are allowed to collect to offset higher fuel costs. These are separate from the base fare, which is the actual amount paid by the passenger for his or her seat.
As for cargo fuel surcharge, which is collected on a per-kilogram basis, it amounts to P1.47 to P4.31 for domestic flights and P4.87 to P36.21 for international flights under Level 9 from P2 to P5.85 for domestic flights and P6.60 to P49.09 for international flights under Level 12.
Philippine Airlines, Cebu Pacific and AirAsia Philippines welcomed the lowering of fuel surcharges as this will ease the financial burden of their passengers and clients.
“We look forward to the lower fuel surcharge which should help make fares more affordable and stimulate air travel,” said Xander Lao, chief commercial officer of Cebu Pacific. Steve Dailisan, spokesperson for AirAsia, said “this will benefit many of our guests who are now planning their travels in time for the -ber months.”
Cielo Villaluna, spokesperson for PAL, added that the “new fuel surcharge rate will be applicable to tickets that will be purchased in September.”
