CAPE TOWN, March 12 (Xinhua) -- South Africa's airlines are introducing fuel-related price adjustments after a sharp spike in aviation fuel costs linked to the ongoing Middle East conflict.
Cape Town International Airport and King Shaka International Airport in Durban have both raised the cost of Jet A1 fuel in response to the rising oil prices.
In a statement released on Wednesday, South Africa's largest airline FlySafair said Jet A1 aviation fuel prices at South African airports increased by roughly "70 percent in just one week," forcing airlines to reconsider their pricing structures.
"We will be specifically itemizing this temporary dynamic fuel surcharge on all tickets to ensure fairness and transparency to our customers," said Kirby Gordon, chief marketing officer at FlySafair, in the statement.
The surcharge will take effect from Thursday and apply to flights departing on or before May 12. Existing bookings will remain unchanged, and no surcharge will be applied retrospectively.
Regional carrier Airlink has also begun adjusting ticket prices. Airlink Chief Executive Officer de Villiers Engelbrecht said that the airline had already increased fares twice in recent weeks -- once after the initial oil price spike and again on March 9 -- though existing ticket holders will not face additional levies.
State-owned South African Airways (SAA) has become the latest carrier to respond. "Given the substantial scale of these increases, it is impossible for the airline to absorb them entirely. As a result, SAA will need to adjust airfares," the airline said in a statement.
Tickets already purchased before March 12 will be honored at the fare paid. SAA emphasized that the adjustments are aimed at "ensuring the continued sustainability of our operations while maintaining safe, reliable service for our customers."
The Middle East is home to five of the world's top 10 oil producers. Shipping through the Strait of Hormuz, a narrow waterway between Iran and Oman that carries about one-fifth of the world's oil consumption and roughly 20 percent of global liquefied natural gas trade, has nearly come to a halt following the outbreak of war between Iran and the United States and Israel on Feb. 28.
The region is also a crucial hub for global aviation, and volatility in the region has direct implications for airlines and travelers alike. While South Africa sources aviation fuel through multiple domestic and import channels, airlines said rising costs make surcharges unavoidable for the time being. ■