Big airfare hikes loom as with increased surcharges

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March 17, 2026 | 2:11pm

MANILA, Philippines — The country’s travel woes continue to compound as the Civil Aeronautics Board (CAB) approved a raise in surcharge rates; domestic flights can see an increase of up to P787 while international trips can surge by P6,208.98. 

Fuel prices continue to soar as the conflict in the Middle East puts a significant chunk of the world’s oil sources in a chokehold. 

In an advisory, the aeronautics board has raised the passenger fuel surcharge to Level 8 in the first half of April, double the level from March. 

“This is intended to cushion the impact of fuel price volatility and manage increasing costs. The more gradual and incremental implementation of fuel surcharge to be collected from passengers can be a way of softening the impact of higher fuel surcharge increases, and enable faster reduction when fuel prices decline,” the CAB said. 

CAB’s Policy Resolution 25 sets the surcharge rate to P45 per liter for one-way domestic flights. This means that the surcharge can increase from P253 for flights below 200 kilometers,  to P787 for flights more than 1000 kilometers within the country. 

Meanwhile, international flights can increase by at least P835.05 for nearby countries such as Taiwan and Hong Kong. 

Flights to the United States may increase by as high as P5,913. The cost of international flights exceeding 14,000 kilometers may cost as high as P6,208. 

Level 8 is not the highest possible surcharge level, with the CAB having planned surcharge rates for as high as Level 20. This increase in possible surcharge rates comes after the government has approves an increase fares in most modes of land transportation.