Airfares are expected to become cheaper in the second half of August after the Civil Aeronautics Board (CAB) lowered the passenger and cargo fuel surcharge amid easing jet fuel costs.
In an advisory, the CAB announced that the fuel surcharge for domestic and international flights will drop to Level 12 for the August 16 to 31 period, down from Level 13 applied during the first half of the month.
Under Level 12, passenger fuel surcharges for domestic flights will range from P389 to P1,137 depending on distance, while international flight surcharges will range between P1,284.40 and P9,550.13. For cargo, airlines can impose surcharges ranging from P2 to P5.85 per kilogram for domestic routes and P6.60 to P49.09 per kilogram for international routes.
The CAB is currently enforcing a 15-day monitoring and implementation cycle, a temporary arrangement that replaces the standard one-month cycle and suspends specific provisions of CAB Resolution No. 25 (2022). According to the agency, this interim measure is designed to cushion the impact of fluctuating fuel costs on passengers and carriers, and will remain active until market conditions stabilize or the policy is revised.
“Airlines wishing to impose or collect fuel surcharge must file its application with CAB on or before the effectivity period, with fuel surcharge rates not exceeding the above-stated level,” the CAB said in its statement.
The fuel surcharge is an optional fee collected by airlines to offset operating losses caused by volatile fuel prices. Data from the International Air Transport Association’s (IATA) Jet Fuel Price Monitor showed global jet fuel prices averaging $149.93 per barrel as of August 7, up by a modest 1.4 percent from the previous month.