The air
travel is becoming costlier affair day by day thanks to the inefficiency of
state oil monopoly and the rising prices of fuel in the international market.
The private
airliners are increasing fuel surcharge by Rs 80 on Kathmandu-Simara route, to Rs 270 on Kathmandu-Dhangadi route depending on the distance effective
from Sunday.
The fuel
surcharge upward revision that is the second time in a month followed the hike
in aviation fuel by the Nepal Oil Corporation (NOC) by Rs 7 to Rs 137 per litre
from a day before yesterday.
Earlier too,
on August 10, the NOC had hiked Air Turbine Fuel (ATF) by Rs 10 to Rs 130 per
litre.
The hike in aviation fuel prices has forced the airliners jack up fuel surcharge to cut their losses, the airline operators said. They can hike fuel surcharge, if the aviation fuel price goes up by over Rs 4 per litre.
In the last 18 months, the airline operators have increased airfare by Rs 2,500 on long-haul routes and Rs 1,000 to Rs 1,200 on short ones.
The hike in aviation fuel prices has forced the airliners jack up fuel surcharge to cut their losses, the airline operators said. They can hike fuel surcharge, if the aviation fuel price goes up by over Rs 4 per litre.
In the last 18 months, the airline operators have increased airfare by Rs 2,500 on long-haul routes and Rs 1,000 to Rs 1,200 on short ones.
They claim
that the fuel costs account for almost 35 per cent of the total cost of the
airlines. The frequent hike in aviation fuel price is hitting the airlines as
the number of air travelers has gone down.
According to
the Tribhuvan International Airport (TIA), the domestic air traffic dropped by 3.60
per cent year-on-year to 772,873 in the first six months of 2013.
Though, the loss-making NOC
is enjoying Rs 27.51 on a litre of aviation fuel, it is trying to cover the
loss of other petroleum products from the aviation fuel.
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