The Civil Aeronautics Board (CAB) announces that airlines in the Philippines will apply a higher fuel surcharge from Oct. 1 to 15, prompting expectations of steeper airfares. The CAB sets the surcharge at Level 17, which is three notches higher than the Level 14 applied during the second half of September, and is described by outlets as the highest level since May.
Under the Level 17 schedule, airlines may collect additional charges ranging from P559 to P1,635 per passenger for domestic flights and from P1,846.10 to P13,726.58 for international flights. The reporting frames the increase as a response to continued jet fuel volatility, with the fuel surcharge serving as a mechanism airlines use to offset changes in fuel costs. While both sources emphasize the timing and the higher level, they primarily differ in wording—one highlights “another round of steep airfare increases,” while the other stresses the surcharge reaching a “5-month high” ahead of the end of the lean travel season.
