The JAL Group has requested approval from the Japanese Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport, to revise the fuel surcharge placed on all international passenger tickets issued for the 3 month period starting January 1, 2008.JAL has decided to increase the fuel surcharge for tickets issued between January 1 and March 31 2008, as the price of Singapore kerosene-type jet fuel has averaged US$90.65 per barrel over the 3 month period August - October 2007.
Based on ticket sales in Japan, the new surcharges per person per sector flown range from 2,400 yen on a Japan - Korea ticket (up from 2,000 yen) to 21,000 yen on a Japan- Brazil ticket (up from 17,000). The surcharge on a Japan-Europe ticket or a Japan- North America ticket will be 17,000 yen, up from 13,000 yen.
JAL originally introduced the fuel surcharge on international tickets in February 2005 in response to unprecedented rises in the cost of fuel. The surcharge will be progressively reduced as the price of fuel decreases, and will be cancelled completely when the price of Singapore kerosene stays below the benchmark of US$45.00.
The fuel surcharge charged for tickets issued from April to June 2008 will be reviewed based on the average price of fuel for November 2007 through to January 2008.
The company will continue conducting a wide range of countermeasures to limit the full impact of the price increase including fuel hedging, fuel consumption reductions, and the introduction of more fuel-efficient small and medium-sized aircraft to its fleet.
Despite these measures, the company is still reluctantly obliged to ask its international passengers to bear part of the burden caused by the unprecedented increase in the price of fuel over the past few years.
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