Hong Kong’s Cathay Pacific to double fuel surcharges amid Mideast war

2026-03-12 - 12:17

Hong Kong’s flagship carrier Cathay Pacific has announced that fuel surcharges for all flights will more than double next week, due to soaring oil prices amid the war in the Middle East. The surcharge increase will apply to all flight tickets issued on Wednesday and later, the airline said on Thursday. A Cathay Pacific airplane. Photo: Kelly Ho/HKFP. For short-haul flights, the surcharge will rise from the current HK$142 to HK$290, while for medium-haul flights, it will increase from HK$264 to HK$541. Long-haul flights will see their fuel surcharge surge, from HK$569 to HK$1,164. “The price of jet fuel has approximately doubled since March amid the latest developments in the Middle East,” Cathay Pacific said on Thursday. Cathay first announced its plan to hike fuel surcharges on Wednesday. On the same day, it extended the suspension of flights to and from Dubai and Riyadh until March 31. Budget airlines Cathay Pacific’s budget subsidiary, HK Express, also announced on Thursday that it would increase fuel surcharges for all flights, except to and from mainland China. Starting Wednesday, the fuel surcharge per sector between Hong Kong and non-mainland Chinese cities will rise from HK$140 to HK$280. HK Express planes at the Hong Kong International Airport. Photo: GovHK. Another budget carrier, Hong Kong Airlines, hiked fuel surcharges on Thursday, local media reported. The carrier’s fuel surcharges for short-haul flights – covering destinations in Japan, South Korea and Thailand – rose by 30 per cent, from HK$162 to HK$212, while those for long-haul flights increased by 25 per cent, from HK$589 to HK$739.