Taiwanese airlines will raise their fuel charges on international flights by 157 percent on Tuesday, as conflict in the Middle East pushes up global oil prices.
Surcharges for short-haul flights will rise by $27.50 to $45 and $71.50 to $117 for longer flights, the Civil Aviation Administration (CAA) and the transport ministry said on Wednesday.
China Airlines and Eva Air confirmed that passengers will be affected by the increases from April 7.
Ticket prices for domestic routes will increase by an average of about US$3, CAA director-general Ho Shu-ping told parliament.
“In response to international trends, prices often go up and down, so we have to make the appropriate adjustments to reflect that,” Ho said.
The move comes as war in the Middle East and Iran’s effective closure of the crucial Strait of Hormuz have sent crude prices skyrocketing.
A barrel of Brent crude, the benchmark for energy markets, which had fallen below $100 on Wednesday, rose seven percent to $108.15.
Some Chinese airlinesincluding national carrier Air China, also plan to raise their fuel charges from Sunday.
Other airlines, including Air France-KLM, Air India, Qantas and SAS, have increased their fares to reflect rising jet fuel prices.
