Air travel may get costlier as ATF price rises

Air travel is expected to get costlier in the coming days as oil marketing companies on Wednesday raised the aviation turbine fuel (ATF) prices 18 per cent to record Rs 1,10,666.26 per kilolitre, all time high levels for the second time in March after international oil price surged to a multi-year high .

The increase – sixth straight this year – led to prices soaring past the Rs 1-lakh-per-kilolitre mark for the first time ever. Fuel retailers revise jet fuel prices on a fortnightly basis.

At present, fuel based expenses account for over 30 percent of the overall operating cost of an airline. Aviation turbine fuel (ATF) – the fuel that helps aeroplanes fly –