In a welcome move for air travellers, leading Indian airline, IndiGo has officially announced the removal of fuel charges on both domestic and international routes, effective from January 4, 2024. The decision comes after the airline implemented the fuel charge in October 2023 in response to the escalating prices of Aviation Turbine Fuel (ATF). The recent decline in ATF prices has prompted IndiGo to withdraw the fuel charge, bringing a sense of relief to passengers.
The airline, with a commitment to providing affordable, on-time, courteous, and hassle-free travel, assures its customers that it will continue to adjust fares and components based on the dynamic nature of ATF prices and market conditions.
Last year in October, IndiGo had introduced fuel charges on both domestic and international routes, citing the significant surge in ATF prices over the preceding three months, marked by consecutive monthly hikes. Given that ATF constitutes a substantial portion of an airline’s operating expenses, IndiGo had justified the fare adjustment as a necessary measure to address the cost surge.
Most of the flights had to be diverted, as the pilots were not trained to operate flights in low visibility conditions, the sources claimed. As many as 13 flights of IndiGo were diverted while 10 flights each of Air India and SpiceJet were diverted during the period. Among others, 5 flights of Vistara, 3 flights of Akasa Air and 2 flights of Alliance Air were diverted at the Delhi airport.
Previously, IndiGo had a pricing structure in place that charged passengers booking flights a fuel charge per sector. This fuel charge varied depending on the distance of the sector and was determined by six different plate numbers. For sectors that were 0-500 km in distance, plate number 1 was applied. For sectors between 501-1000 km, plate number 2 was used. Plate number 3 was applied for sectors between 1001-1500 km, while plate number 4 was used for sectors between 1501-2500 km. For sectors between 2501-3500 km, plate number 5 was used, and for sectors that were 3501 km or more in distance, plate number 6 was applied. However, this pricing structure has since been eliminated.As the country’s largest carrier in terms of market share and fleet size, IndiGo operates a fleet of over 330 aircraft, managing more than 2000 daily flights. The airline connects 86 domestic destinations and 32 international destinations, emphasizing its extensive network and commitment to serving a diverse range of locations.
