Greater Bay Airlines to raise fuel charges by 34%, joining other Hong Kong carriers

Greater Bay Airlines has become the latest Hong Kong-based carrier to raise its fuel surcharges by 34 per cent amid the ongoing conflict in the Middle East, with the fee for destinations other than mainland China set to hit HK$389 (US$50).China’s largest courier, SF Express, also said on Friday it would switch to adjusting its fuel surcharge rates from a monthly to a weekly basis beginning in April because of the “continuous and frequent fluctuations” of international oil prices.Global fuel prices have surged since the outbreak of the US-Israel war with Iran in late February and the subsequent shutdown of the Strait of Hormuz, a critical passageway for the Middle East’s oil and gas trade.Joining other carriers that have already made the same move, Greater Bay Airlines said on Friday that it would raise its fuel surcharges from next month because of the impact of fluctuating fuel prices on flight operating costs.Under the adjustment, the fuel surcharge for flights between Hong Kong and the mainland will remain at HK$165 per trip.But the surcharge for Maldives-bound flights will rise by 34 per cent to HK$725, while that for other non-mainland destinations will increase by a similar percentage to HK$389.