In an announcement made late on Tuesday, August 19, the Philippine Civil Aeronautics Board (CAB) declared that the fuel surcharge will continue under Level 4 for September.

Fuel surcharge is the additional fee that airlines may assess on top of the base fare to accommodate fluctuating fuel costs.

Currently at Level 4, airlines can charge fuel surcharges ranging from PHP117 to PHP342 for domestic flights, and from PHP385.70 to PHP2,867.82 for international routes, based on distance.

According to CAB’s executive director, Carmelo Arcilla, airlines that wish to impose fuel surcharges must submit an application to the Board before the surcharge comes into effect. The conversion rate for the surcharge in September is set at US$1 to PHP57.13.

Earlier this year, the CAB raised the fuel surcharge to Level 5 in March but then dropped it to Level 4 in April. It fell to Level 3 in June but has now increased again due to rising aviation fuel prices.