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Hong Kong’s flag carrier, Cathay Pacific, recently announced it would be increasing its fuel surcharge on the majority of its route network, as the aviation industry continues to feel the pinch and surging costs of fuel amid the 2026 Iran Crisis. The airline, which announced the additional charge in its latest Fuel Surcharge Update, noted that he cost of fuel has more than doubled since the escalating situation emerged in the Middle East.
Following the Iran crisis and the blocking of the Strait of Hormuz – a key route for ships transporting oil out of the Gulf, the cost of fuel has skyrocketed, with many airlines around the world introducing additional fuel surcharges to offset the continued price increase for aviation fuel. For Cathay Pacific passengers, the additional fuel surcharge will apply for all tickets starting March 18.
Additional Fuel Surcharge From Mid-March
The additional surcharge sees the average cost of airfares depending on destination increase by around US $100 and is applied irrespective of fare type. The airline has also outlined that these fuel surcharges will periodically be adjusted, taking into consideration the cost of fuel every month, and are to be calculated in USD, unless the ticket is purchased to depart from Hong Kong, Canada, or New Zealand, where they will be charged in the local respective currency.
Fuel surcharges do not apply for the airlines’ codeshare ferry or coach services to or from Hong Kong, trips that commence and are purchased in the Asian country of Bangladesh, or Cathay Pacific marketing flights that operate within Japan. Codeshare services will be subject to fuel surcharges.
The update shared by Cathay Pacific in relation to these additional temporary fuel surcharges was pursuant to guidance received by the Hong Kong Civil Aviation Department.
Cost Of Fuel Surcharges
Cathay Pacific operates a robust network of international services to and from its home at Hong Kong International Airport (HKG). The airline, a proud 
oneworld member, will see the introduction of these additional fuel surcharges apply on operated CX services between Hong Kong and the Southwest Pacific, North America, Europe, the Middle East, and Africa.
Additional fuel surcharges will also apply across the airlines codeshare network which encompasses services between the USA and Japan, USA and Brazil, Chile or Peru, Australia and New Zealand to Chile, Brazil and the United Kingdom, France, and United States, Africa and Brazil, Spain and Brazil, Chile, or Peru, and Qatar and Brazil, Croatia, Kenya, Russia, Serbia, Seychelles, South Africa, and Ukraine. A full outline of the cost of these fuel surcharges is detailed below.
|
Ticket Purchased In |
Current Fuel Surcharge (up until March 17, 2026) |
New Fuel Surcharge (from March 18, 2026) |
|---|---|---|
|
Canada |
CA $101 ($74) |
CA $202.60 ($149) |
|
New Zealand |
NZ $127 ($74) |
NZ $252 ($147) |
|
Hong Kong |
HK $569 (72) |
HK $1,164 ($148) |
|
Other |
US $72.90 |
US $149.20 |
For those traveling on short and medium haul services with Cathay Pacific, will see a smaller surcharge, for examples flights operating between Hong Kong and South Asia sub-continent will face a hike from HK $264 ($33.80) to HK $541 ($69.40), while services between Japan, Hong Kong and the Chinese Mainland increase from HK $142 ($18.20) to HK $290 ($37.20).
This Airline Just Cut Thousands Of Flights Due To The Fuel Price Crisis
The flights cut between now and early May account for 5% of the airline’s schedule, but impact over 40,000 passengers.
Why Do Airlines Apply Fuel Surcharges
Cathay Pacific is not the only carrier that has taken action to combat the soaring cost of fuel. Air New Zealand, Jetstar, and Qantas all announced yesterday they would take similar action, adding relative surcharges across operations from domestic to short-haul and long-haul international, all ranging in cost depending on the length of the route.
This comes as airlines face the cost of aviation fuel more than double amid the Iran crisis. This is a cost that airlines may be unable to cover on their own, and thus is passed onto the consumer. Tickets already purchased will not face the surcharge, but all new tickets going forward will be required to cover the additional surcharge at the time of booking.
Airlines will continually review and adjust these surcharges as the cost of fuel fluctuates. It is likely to see these surcharges remain for the coming months until tensions in the Middle East subside.
