The leading German airline, Lufthansa, today unveiled an increase in fuel surcharges for most passenger flights owing to higher oil prices.
Passengers are to be charged an extra €3, bringing the total surcharge to €24 for flights within Germany and Europe but also to North Africa, Lebanon, Jordan and Israel, a Lufthansa statement said.
Tickets booked from July 2 would include the higher charge.
'Prices of crude oil have risen by more than 50% since December 2009, resulting in higher fuel procurement costs,' Lufthansa said.
Surcharges on other intercontinental flights, which have stood at €82 will now vary according to destination, it added. The most expensive charge, €92, would apply to flights to Central and South America, Sub-Saharan and West Africa and east Asia.
Services to East Africa and the Middle East would benefit, however, from a decrease to €77.
Lufthansa said yesterday that it had raised its forecast for fuel expenses this year to €3.55 billion from €3.4 billion previously. The airline warned last week it would have to cut operating costs further to reach an operating profit this year, as passenger traffic declined and fuel costs increased.
