TWO of Japan’s major airlines will likely decide to abolish fuel surcharges in February on the back of plunging oil prices.
Both Japan Airlines (JAL) and All Nippon Airways (ANA) currently levy a fuel surcharge of 7,000 yen (US$59) on flights out of Japan to longhaul destinations, but with oil trading at 12-year lows, the airlines are considering reducing the levy to zero.
“It is very possible that we will abolish the surcharge entirely,” said Maho Ito, spokeswoman for ANA, adding that fuel surcharges were also reduced to zero back in July 2009.
A decision will be made, probably in mid-February, on the levy applied to tickets in the April-June period, she said.
JAL will similarly make a decision on its fuel surcharges in mid-February, according to spokesman Jian Yang.
Both JAL and ANA eliminated surcharges on flights that originated overseas in December.
The airlines first introduced fuel surcharges in February 2005 as oil prices climbed and peaked in 2008.
