Japan Airlines (JAL) and Japan Transocean Air (JTA) have applied for approval to increase fuel surcharges on international passenger tickets purchased in Japan between 1 November and 31 December 2026.
Under the proposal, the surcharge for routes between Japan and North America, Europe, the Middle East and Oceania would rise from ¥50,000 to ¥62,000. Shorter international routes would also see increases.
The changes remain subject to approval by Japan’s Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism.
Government subsidy limits the proposed increase
JAL and JTA calculate their fuel surcharge levels using the two-month average price of Singapore kerosene-type jet fuel.
During August and September 2026, that price averaged US$159.19 per barrel. At the average exchange rate of ¥157.61 to the US dollar, this equated to ¥25,089.
Those figures would normally place surcharges in Zone T under the airlines’ pricing framework. However, a Japanese government subsidy introduced as an emergency measure in response to the situation in the Middle East will bring the applicable level down to Zone S.
The subsidy reduces the proposed increase but does not keep charges at their current Zone O level. For the longest-distance route group, the proposed surcharge is ¥3,000 below the ¥65,000 that would apply under Zone T.
Proposed JAL fuel surcharges by destination
| Route group | Current surcharge, through 31 October | Proposed surcharge, 1 November–31 December | Increase |
|---|---|---|---|
| Japan–Seoul, Busan, Jeju and Far East Russia; Okinawa–Taipei and Kaohsiung | ¥5,900 | ¥7,100 | ¥1,200 |
| Japan–other East Asian destinations, excluding routes listed separately | ¥12,400 | ¥16,000 | ¥3,600 |
| Japan–Guam, Palau, the Philippines, Vietnam, Ulaanbaatar and Irkutsk | ¥17,500 | ¥21,500 | ¥4,000 |
| Japan–Thailand, Malaysia, Singapore, Brunei and Novosibirsk | ¥26,000 | ¥33,200 | ¥7,200 |
| Japan–Hawaii, Indonesia, India and Sri Lanka | ¥30,900 | ¥38,500 | ¥7,600 |
| Japan–North America, Europe, the Middle East and Oceania | ¥50,000 | ¥62,000 | ¥12,000 |
Amounts are in Japanese yen. The proposed charges require government approval.
Ticket issue date determines the applicable period
The announcement concerns international tickets purchased in Japan and issued during November and December 2026. The relevant dates refer to ticket issuance rather than the date of travel.
JAL says the surcharge applies to its own flights and to codeshare flights operated by partner airlines. The published amounts are fuel surcharges, rather than total ticket prices.
For passengers buying tickets in Japan, the proposed revision would therefore add to the fuel surcharge component of bookings issued from 1 November, with the largest monetary increase affecting the North America, Europe, Middle East and Oceania route group.
