(Yicai) April 28 -- Multiple Asian airlines have significantly raised fuel surcharges for May flights after similar increases in April, as rising aviation fuel costs continue to push up travel expenses.

The latest adjustments affect both domestic and international routes, with some surcharges nearly doubling or rising as much as fivefold compared with earlier months. The hikes reflect airlines’ ongoing efforts to offset surging fuel procurement costs, a key component of operating expenses and ticket pricing.

Spring Airlines has increased fuel surcharges for routes departing from South Korea for tickets booked between May 1 and May 31. Fees will be USD42 for routes under 499 miles, USD58 for 500 to 1,000 miles, and USD96 for 1,000 to 1,500 miles. In March, the airline raised fuel surcharges for South Korea routes twice. For example, the Jeju–Shanghai route surcharge will rise to CNY287 (USD22) in May from CNY150 in April, while the Jeju–Shenyang route will increase to CNY396 (USD31) from CNY212.

All Nippon Airways has also notified agents of higher fuel surcharges starting May 1, with fees on routes from mainland China to Japan rising to CNY441 from CNY275, an increase of more than 60 percent.

South Korean carriers are implementing similar hikes. Korean Air will raise international route surcharges in May, with one-way fees ranging from KRW75,000 to KRW564,000 (USD51 to USD383), up to nearly five times higher than in March. Asiana Airlines and Jin Air have also increased surcharges for international routes.

Airlines typically adjust fuel surcharges in line with fluctuations in aviation fuel prices. For Chinese carriers, international route surcharges are revised irregularly, while domestic route surcharges are adjusted monthly.

Last month, domestic airlines raised fuel surcharges for international routes in batches, with some increases doubling previous levels. Domestic route surcharges were also sharply raised from April 5, increasing by as much as fivefold.

Currently, fuel surcharges for domestic routes stand at CNY60 (USD9) for segments of 800 kilometers or less and CNY120 for longer segments. The next adjustment window for domestic routes is scheduled for May 5.

Editor: Emmi Laine