Air fares soar amidst Middle East war

Colombo, March 14 (Daily Mirror) - Air ticket prices in Sri Lanka are expected to see an increase in the near future, driven by the rising costs of aviation fuel in the global market.

Deputy Minister of Ports and Civil Aviation, Janitha Ruwan Kodithuwakku, said that while authorities are making every effort to manage and minimise fuel costs for airlines, a hike in passenger ticket prices is inevitable.

He said that this issue is not limited to Sri Lanka but is currently affecting the entire global aviation industry.

Adding to the financial strain, the Deputy Minister said special flight arrangements have also created logistical difficulties, as some flights operate only for one-way passenger demand, forcing the aircraft to return empty.

He said this operational imbalance places an additional cost burden on airlines, further contributing to the necessity of raising airfares.

However, the Deputy Minister assured that the upcoming price increases will not affect passengers who have already made their reservations.

"Passengers who have already purchased and booked their air tickets at current or previous rates will not be subjected to any additional charges, and their tickets will remain fully valid for their scheduled travel," he said.

Meanwhile, the Managing Director of the Ceylon Petroleum Corporation, Dr Mayura Netthikumarage, said that aviation fuel prices had to be increased due to the war situation in the Middle East.

"Aviation fuel prices in the global market have rapidly increased. Accordingly, a barrel of aviation fuel, which stood at 93.57 dollars at the beginning of this month, meaning before the war, has increased to 209 dollars. Considering that, aviation fuel prices are continuously increasing due to the global situation. So it is experiencing rapid increases along with slight decreases. Accordingly, Sri Lanka, meaning the Ceylon Petroleum Corporation, generally sells aviation fuel relative to the world market price. Therefore, the aviation fuel price within Sri Lanka has also gone up relative to that," he said.