Foreign travel to be costlier

Travelling to foreign countries might become costlier with India's international carrier Air India and 40 other foreign airlines planning to levy a surcharge to offset increase in international prices of aviation fuel.

All the airlines operating on international routes would jointly take a decision on levying fuel surcharge at a meeting of board of airline representation next week, an Air-India spokesman said in Mumbai on Thursday.

Air India has a fuel budget provision of Rs 2,000 crore (Rs 20 billion) this year but has to levy fuel surcharge in view of increase in international prices of jet fuel, he said.

Last year, the airline had to meet an expenditure of Rs 650 crore (Rs 6.5 billion) additionally due to hike in aviation fuel prices and 40 per cent of this amount was met from the fuel surcharge levied by the airline, he said.

About the fleet acquisition of Air India Express, he said four 737 Boeing aircraft are being inducted into the existing fleet after which the airline would be able to cater to new destinations such as Hyderabad, Chennai and Delhi.