Seoul, April 16 (IANS) South Korean airlines will impose the highest level of fuel surcharges on May flights as global oil prices surge amid escalating tensions in the Middle East, industry sources said on Thursday.

Carriers set May surcharges based on the Mean of Platts Singapore (MOPS), which averaged US$214.71 per barrel from March 16 to April 15, placing them in the top-tier Level 33 bracket, the sources said. MOPS serves as a benchmark for refined petroleum products in the Asia-Pacific region.

Fuel surcharges — additional fees added to airfares to offset rising fuel costs — are adjusted monthly under a government-guided distance-based pricing system, reports Yonhap news agency.

The May surcharge level jumped from Level 18 in April, marking the steepest on-month increase since the current system was introduced in 2016 and the first time the highest tier has been applied.

The latest adjustment will affect tickets issued in May.

Korean Air, the country’s largest full-service carrier, said its international one-way fuel surcharge will rise to between 75,000 won ($50.89) and 564,000 won for May, up from 42,000 won to 303,000 won in April.

On long-haul routes, such as New York, Paris and London, the surcharge will jump 86 percent to 564,000 won.

Asiana Airlines Inc., the second-largest carrier, and low-cost airlines, including Jeju Air Co., are expected to announce their May surcharges in the coming days.

Industry officials said ticket purchases may rise sharply this month, as fuel surcharges are determined based on the ticket issuance date, allowing travelers to secure relatively lower rates before higher charges take effect.

Meanwhile, South Korea welcomed a record number of foreign tourists in the first quarter of this year, driven by a massive influx of fans attending a landmark performance by K-pop megastar BTS in central Seoul last month.

According to preliminary data from the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, 4.76 million foreign tourists entered the country between January and March, up 23 percent from the same period in 2025, the highest first-quarter figure on record.

China led inbound travel with about 1.45 million visitors, up 29 percent, followed by Japan with 940,000, a 20 percent rise. Taiwan posted the sharpest year-on-year increase of 37.7 percent to 540,000, while arrivals from the Americas and Europe grew 17 percent to 690,000.

Tourist spending with foreign cards totalled 3.21 trillion won (US$2.18 billion), up 23 percent from a year earlier, while travel satisfaction rose to 90.8 points, up 1.1 points from 89.7 a year ago, in a poll.

—IANS

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