New Delhi, April 1 — Amid rising geopolitical tensions in West Asia and the closure of the Strait of Hormuz, aviation fuel prices have soared to record levels. On Wednesday, under international market pressure, the price of aviation turbine fuel (ATF) crossed ₹2 lakh per kiloliter for the first time. In Delhi, state-owned oil companies raised prices by a significant 114.5%, bringing it to ₹2,07,341 per kiloliter. This unprecedented increase has raised concerns in the aviation sector and among regular travelers.
To prevent a potential massive rise in airfares, the Petroleum Ministry has made a historic intervention. The ministry announced that while ATF prices were set to increase by over 100% according to international benchmarks, the burden for domestic flights would be limited to only 25%. Following consultations with the Ministry of Civil Aviation, the revised rate in Delhi will now be ₹1,04,927 per kiloliter. The main objective of this government measure is to reduce the increasing travel costs for the common citizen and to protect domestic airlines from operational crises.
The government has clarified that this fuel price relief will be limited to domestic routes only. Aircraft flying on international routes will have to pay the full price in accordance with the global market. On the other hand, on the first day of the new financial year, there was also a significant increase of ₹195.50 in the prices of commercial LPG cylinders, raising the price in Delhi to ₹2,078.50. However, it is a relief that there has been no change in the prices of domestic cooking gas (14.2 kg). The main reason for the current energy crisis is the escalating conflict between the USA, Israel, and Iran, which has severely impacted global oil supply routes.
