Air France-KLM, Singapore Airlines and a string of other carriers are increasing the fuel surcharge element in their long-haul ticket prices, again passing on to passengers the rising cost of aviation fuel.
The airlines justify the price hikes by the recent surge in crude prices, sparked by fears that the international crisis over Iran's nuclear program could trigger disruptions in supplies from Iran, the world's fourth-largest oil producer.
The price of crude hit an all-time high of over US$75 a barrel on April 21. In early afternoon trading in New York on Wednesday it was changing hands at US$72.15 a barrel.
Singapore Airlines announced on Wednesday it was slapping an extra US$10 onto the price of certain long-haul flights.
Air France will on Saturday raise its fuel surcharge by 7 euros (US$8.7) -- the sixth increase since the carrier introduced a fuel supplement in May 2004.
That puts Air France's fuel surcharge up to 51 euros per one-way long-haul flight, from 44 euros. And since most travellers buy return tickets, the result is a surcharge of 102 euros per round trip.
Dutch carrier KLM, which was bought by Air France in 2004, upped its fuel surcharge by five euros to 45 euros earlier this month.
Five other European airlines introduced similar increases this month -- British Airways, Lufthansa and its subsidiary Swiss, TAP Portugal and Spanish carrier Iberia.
Last year airlines' overall fuel bill rose 50 percent to US$92 billion and this year it could be higher still.
RETHINK? The defense ministry and Navy Command Headquarters could take over the indigenous submarine project and change its production timeline, a source said Admiral Huang Shu-kuang’s (黃曙光) resignation as head of the Indigenous Submarine Program and as a member of the National Security Council could affect the production of submarines, a source said yesterday. Huang in a statement last night said he had decided to resign due to national security concerns while expressing the hope that it would put a stop to political wrangling that only undermines the advancement of the nation’s defense capabilities. Taiwan People’s Party Legislator Vivian Huang (黃珊珊) yesterday said that the admiral, her older brother, felt it was time for him to step down and that he had completed what he
Taiwan has experienced its most significant improvement in the QS World University Rankings by Subject, data provided on Sunday by international higher education analyst Quacquarelli Symonds (QS) showed. Compared with last year’s edition of the rankings, which measure academic excellence and influence, Taiwanese universities made great improvements in the H Index metric, which evaluates research productivity and its impact, with a notable 30 percent increase overall, QS said. Taiwanese universities also made notable progress in the Citations per Paper metric, which measures the impact of research, achieving a 13 percent increase. Taiwanese universities gained 10 percent in Academic Reputation, but declined 18 percent
CHINA REACTS: The patrol and reconnaissance plane ‘transited the Taiwan Strait in international airspace,’ the 7th Fleet said, while Taipei said it saw nothing unusual The US 7th Fleet yesterday said that a US Navy P-8A Poseidon flew through the Taiwan Strait, a day after US and Chinese defense heads held their first talks since November 2022 in an effort to reduce regional tensions. The patrol and reconnaissance plane “transited the Taiwan Strait in international airspace,” the 7th Fleet said in a news release. “By operating within the Taiwan Strait in accordance with international law, the United States upholds the navigational rights and freedoms of all nations.” In a separate statement, the Ministry of National Defense said that it monitored nearby waters and airspace as the aircraft
UNDER DISCUSSION: The combatant command would integrate fast attack boat and anti-ship missile groups to defend waters closest to the coastline, a source said The military could establish a new combatant command as early as 2026, which would be tasked with defending Taiwan’s territorial waters 24 nautical miles (44.4km) from the nation’s coastline, a source familiar with the matter said yesterday. The new command, which would fall under the Naval Command Headquarters, would be led by a vice admiral and integrate existing fast attack boat and anti-ship missile groups, along with the Naval Maritime Surveillance and Reconnaissance Command, said the source, who asked to remain anonymous. It could be launched by 2026, but details are being discussed and no final timetable has been announced, the source