South Africa’s biggest airline adding surcharge to tickets as fuel prices skyrocket
South Africa’s biggest domestic airline, FlySafair, has announced that it will introduce a temporary fuel surcharge to ticket prices as the cost of fuel skyrockets amid the conflict in the Middle East.
The group noted that since the Middle East crisis erupted on 28 February, it had been absorbing the steep fuel cost increases to shield passengers from immediate airfare increases.
However, with Jet A1 Fuel prices at South African coastal airports now up approximately 70% in just one week and no clear end in sight, the airline has reached the point where it must pass on a portion of these costs to ensure its long-term sustainability.
“The airline is now moving to introduce a temporary fuel surcharge. The surcharge takes effect from 12 March 2026 and will apply only to flights departing on or before 12 May 2026,” it said.
This reflects the airline’s hope that the crisis is short-term and requires a short-term response.
“We will be specifically itemising this temporary dynamic fuel surcharge on all tickets to ensure fairness and transparency to our customers,” said FlySafair Chief Marketing Officer, Kirby Gordon.
The surcharge:
- Applies only to departures on or before 12 May 2026
- Will be reviewed frequently based on Jet A1 fuel price movements
- Will be reduced or removed once market conditions improve
- Surcharges will vary by route length to reflect the actual fuel consumption required per journey
The airline said the surcharge is necessary because the conflict in the Middle East has resulted in an effective shutdown of the Strait of Hormuz.
This is the narrow waterway through which roughly 20% of the world’s oil supply flows.
Tanker traffic has collapsed, with estimates suggesting a 70–80% drop in shipping through this critical route. The impact on fuel prices has been immediate and severe.
Global oil prices have swung wildly, with Brent crude surging past US$100 per barrel before settling around US$87–91 amid extreme volatility.
More critically for aviation, Jet A1 fuel prices at South African coastal airports have spiked by approximately 70% in just one week, FlySafair said.
For context, the group noted that fuel typically accounts for 50–55% of its direct operating costs.
At current price levels, the airline estimates an additional cost of around R35,000 per flight hour for each Boeing 737-800 aircraft in operation.
“FlySafair has absorbed these increases since the crisis began, but this is simply not sustainable without threatening the long-term viability of affordable air travel in South Africa,” it said.
Competing airline, national carrier South African Airways, noted that, at this stage, it does not anticipate any immediate disruption to its fuel supply.
“Based on current planning and supplier assurances, SAA has sufficient fuel arrangements in place to support its flight schedule,” it said.
What passengers need to know
If you booked with FlySafair before 11 March 2026:
- Your fare remains unchanged.
- No fuel surcharge will be added retrospectively.
If you book with FlySafair from 11 March 2026:
- Surcharges will be shown as a separate line item on all flights departing on or before 12 May 2026.
If you change an existing booking:
- The surcharge will apply if the new flight departs on or before 12 May 2026.
FlySafair assured that there would be no retrospective charges and that all pricing would be transparent, with the surcharge displayed separately.
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