JAL to Reduce International Fuel Surcharges

The JAL Group has requested approval from the Japanese Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism (MLIT), to decrease the fuel surcharge placed on all its international passenger tickets issued for the 3-month period starting April 1, 2009.

Japan Airlines (JAL) decided to decrease the fuel surcharge for tickets issued between April 1 and June 30 2009, as the price of Singapore kerosene-type jet fuel during the 3 month period from November 2008 to January 2009 averaged USD$64.22 per barrel. This is substantially down from the average of US$115.92 per barrel for the 3-month period prior to that.

Based on JAL’s new fuel surcharge benchmark list for FY2009, the new surcharges have decreased substantially by a range of 75% to 92% compared to surcharges levied in the period before. The new surcharges per person per sector flown on tickets purchased in Japan now range from 200 yen on a Japan - Korea ticket, to 6,500 yen on a Japan- Brazil ticket. For a ticket from Japan to Canada, Europe, Mexico, Middle East, Oceania or USA (excluding Hawaii), surcharges will go down from 22,000 yen to 3,500 yen.

The airline has said that the surcharge will be progressively reduced as the price of fuel decreases, and will be cancelled when the price of Singapore kerosene stays below the benchmark of US$60 per barrel for a consecutive period of 3 months.

The fuel surcharge charged for tickets issued from July to September 2009 will be reviewed based on the average price of fuel for the 3-month period of February through to April, 2009.

JAL originally introduced the fuel surcharge on international tickets in February 2005 in response to rises in the cost of jet fuel at that time.

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