If you have a flight booked for April or beyond, now is a good time to check what you are paying for fuel surcharges. Because things are about to change.
Civil Aviation Minister Ram Mohan Naidu said it plainly while speaking to reporters in Visakhapatnam this week. ATF prices are fixed on the first of every month. With global oil prices climbing because of the West Asia conflict, the pinch will show up from April 1.
“The impact might be visible from April 1,” he said.
Airlines Are Already Moving
Air India is not waiting. The carrier has already announced a phased fuel surcharge hike on both domestic and international routes. Akasa Air followed, putting a new fuel surcharge in place for all bookings made from March 15 onwards.
Both airlines pointed to the same reason — jet fuel costs are going up, and they cannot absorb it indefinitely.
The West Asia conflict has been squeezing global energy supply for weeks now. Crude oil and gas moving through critical routes like the Strait of Hormuz have been disrupted, and the ripple effect is now reaching Indian airports.
The Government’s Position
Naidu said the ministries of Civil Aviation, External Affairs, and Petroleum and Natural Gas are in active conversation to figure out the best way forward. The goal, he said, is straightforward — whatever happens with fuel prices should not end up hurting passengers or disrupting operations.
“The impact should not translate into operations or the passengers. That will be the intention of the Ministry,” he said.
On international routes, particularly those passing through or near the Middle East, the minister said safe operations remain the top priority. Airlines are being consulted regularly since this involves multiple departments working together.
Domestic Airfare Cap Lifted
In the middle of all this, the government on Saturday quietly removed the temporary cap on domestic airfares that had been in place since December last year.
That cap came after the IndiGo disruption in December 2025, when widespread flight cancellations and delays sent ticket prices shooting up. The government stepped in to limit how much airlines could charge during the chaos.
Now that IndiGo’s operations have stabilised, the ministry has pulled the cap off. Airlines can once again price domestic tickets freely.
The timing raised a few eyebrows. Removing fare restrictions at a moment when fuel costs are rising means passengers on domestic routes could see higher ticket prices in the weeks ahead — though the ministry has not indicated any concern on that front.
What About Fuel Supply?
Petroleum Minister Hardeep Singh Puri addressed Parliament on March 12 and tried to put supply fears to rest. He told the Lok Sabha that India has enough fuel to handle a prolonged conflict without any shortage.
“There is no shortage of petrol, diesel, kerosene, ATF or fuel oil,” he said, adding that Indian refineries are running at full capacity — in some cases exceeding 100 percent utilisation.
He also said India’s gas production and supply arrangements are strong enough to hold steady even if the West Asia situation drags on further.
What This Means for You
Fuel is going up. Surcharges are going up. The domestic fare cap is gone. And April 1 is when it all officially kicks in.
If you are planning to book flights in the coming weeks, doing it sooner rather than later might save you some money. Whether that gap is days or weeks depends on how fast airlines move on pricing — and right now, they are moving quickly.
