CAB: Up to P6,200 hike in airfares set next month

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March 18, 2026 | 12:00am

MANILA, Philippines — The government has given airlines the green light to increase airfares by up to P6,200 for flights to be booked in the first 15 days of April.

In an advisory, the Civil Aeronautics Board (CAB) raised the fuel surcharge to Level 8 for April 1 to 15, from Level 4 in March, to reflect the skyrocketing cost of petroleum products.

This marks the first time CAB would be adjusting the fuel surcharge since August 2025, as jet fuel prices were trading at predictable levels prior to US-Israel attacks on Iran.

At Level 8, airlines can slap a fuel surcharge of P253 to P787 for domestic flights and P835.05 to P6,208.98 for international trips, depending on the distance. The new fuel surcharges will only apply for flights to be booked between April 1 and 15.

Passengers on long-range flights will bear the highest cost. Based on CAB’s matrix, airlines can impose a fuel surcharge of P5,913.31 on flights to North America, including Canada and the US.

Within the region, travelers will pay P835.05 for flights to Taiwan, Hong Kong and Vietnam; P1,133.78 for trips to China and P1,154.89 for connections to Singapore, Thailand, Malaysia and Guam.

East Asia’s go-to destinations Japan and South Korea will be costlier to visit by P1,299.02, while P2,873.32 will be added on tickets to the Middle East.

Locally, the highest fuel surcharges will be collected on Manila flights to Mindanao, amounting to P708 for Cotabato, Davao and Zamboanga and P787 for General Santos City.

CAB set the exchange rate at P58.11 to $1 for airlines transacting in foreign currencies. The agency reminded carriers they have to submit an application if they wish to collect the Level 8 fuel surcharge for the period covered.

CAB is also suspending the 30-day review of fuel surcharge, cutting it short to just 15 days. The regulator said this would allow it to adjust the fuel surcharge quicker, so airfares can be brought down immediately as soon as oil prices stabilize.

Based on the monitor of the International Air Transport Association, jet fuel prices have jumped by 76 percent to $175 per barrel as of March 13, from $99.4 on Feb. 27, a day before the US and Israel attacked Iran.

Airlines are authorized to collect a fuel surcharge to partly recoup losses from price fluctuations in the petroleum market.