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Fuel surcharges rise on IndiGo, Air India, Air India Express and Akasa: what you pay, and from when
Four Indian airlines raised fuel surcharges on bookings made from 6 to 9 October 2026. The booking date decides what you pay. Amounts by airline, and what to check before paying.
What changed
Four Indian airlines raised the fuel surcharge built into their fares within four days of each other. IndiGo announced its increase on Monday 5 October 2026, for bookings made from 6 October. Air India, Air India Express and Akasa Air announced theirs on 8 October, for bookings made from 9 October. Reuters reported that IndiGo attributed its increase to jet fuel prices, which the airline said had risen 14 per cent in a month.
The amounts differ by airline, by route and, on international flights, by region. The sections below give what each airline has published, as reported by the news outlets listed under Sources. We could not open the airlines’ own notices; see “How we checked this”.
IndiGo — bookings made from 00:01 on 6 October
Domestic flights: ₹375 to ₹1,300 per sector, depending on distance. The previous range was ₹275 to ₹950.
International flights: ₹1,000 to ₹10,000 per sector, depending on distance. The previous range was ₹900 to ₹10,000.
A “sector” is one flight, so a journey with a connection carries the charge on each flight.
Air India and Air India Express — bookings made from 9 October
The new amounts apply to new bookings made from 00:00 IST on 9 October on Air India Express, and from 11:00 IST on 9 October on Air India.
Domestic, one way: ₹400 up to 500 km; ₹600 for 501–1,000 km; ₹850 for 1,001–1,500 km; ₹1,200 for 1,501–2,000 km and for flights over 2,000 km.
International, one way, on itineraries that start or end in India: US$55 for West Asia and the Middle East; US$135 for Europe, including the UK; US$210 for Australia; US$215 for North America.
The reports we read give no amounts for other regions, such as South-East Asia, and do not state what the charges were before. One report describes the international amounts as Air India’s; the others give a single table for both airlines. If you are booking Air India Express to an international destination, check the fare breakdown.
Akasa Air — bookings made from 00:01 on 9 October
Domestic flights: ₹375 up to 500 km; ₹600 for 501–1,000 km; ₹900 for 1,001–1,500 km; ₹1,150 above 1,500 km.
International flights: a flat ₹2,500 on flights to Kuwait, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Thailand and Vietnam.
Why the booking date matters
In every case the airlines have tied the new charge to the date a booking is made, not the date of travel. A ticket bought on 5 October for a flight in December was priced under the old charge; the same seat booked on 10 October is priced under the new one.
What happens when you change an existing ticket is less clear. For IndiGo, one specialist outlet reports that tickets booked before the cut-off keep the old charge unless a later change of date or itinerary requires the fare to be recalculated. We have not seen an equivalent statement for Air India, Air India Express or Akasa Air, so do not assume the same rule applies; ask the airline or your agent before changing a ticket.
What to check before you pay
A quote is not a ticket. A fare quoted before 6 October (IndiGo) or 9 October (the other three) and not yet paid for may no longer be available at that price. Ask for it to be re-checked.
Look at the fare breakdown. The surcharge is part of the fare you are shown, usually itemised with taxes and fees. You will not receive a separate bill.
Count the flights. IndiGo and Akasa charge per sector. Air India’s published amounts are per one-way journey.
Before changing an existing booking, ask whether the change will bring in the new surcharge.
These charges are not fixed. Air India and Air India Express have said they will review theirs periodically, and a surcharge can be reduced or withdrawn as well as raised. For trip planning, see our guides to Europe and Australia, two of the regions where Air India has published an amount.
How we checked this
The figures come from news reports of the airlines’ announcements: Reuters (carried by Khaleej Times), Business Today, Travel Trade Journal, Airways Magazine and Live From A Lounge. Where two or more of them report the same figure, they agree. Air India has a press release on its website, but the page did not load for us on four attempts on 12 October, and we could not reach IndiGo’s or Akasa Air’s own notices either. We have left out IndiGo’s region-by-region international amounts because we could confirm only the overall range.
Sources
This report is based on the following published sources. Rules and schedules change — confirm with the issuing authority before you travel.
- India’s IndiGo to increase fuel charges on domestic, international routes — Reuters, via Khaleej Times, 05 October 2026
- IndiGo hikes fuel surcharges start tomorrow (October 6, 2026) — Live From A Lounge, 05 October 2026
- IndiGo raises fuel charges on new bookings from October 6 — Airways Magazine, 05 October 2026
- Air India hikes fuel surcharge from Oct 9, domestic flyers to pay up to Rs 1,200 more — Business Today, 08 October 2026
- Air India and Air India Express hike fuel surcharges amid rising aviation fuel prices — Travel Trade Journal
- Akasa Air, Air India Group raise fuel surcharges as Indian airlines pass on higher ATF costs — Live From A Lounge, 08 October 2026
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