British Airways (BA) has become the latest in a growing list of airlines to impose a fuel surcharge to ticket prices because of surging oil prices.
Europe's second-biggest airline said today it would add a fuel surcharge of £2.50 (€3.71) from May 13th and would review the charge on a regular basis.
Political tensions in the Middle East and rising demand from China have pushed oil prices over $40 a barrel for the first time in 13 years.
Although prices slipped back today after Saudi Arabia called on OPEC to increase production, they remain near record highs.
BA shares were up 2.8 per cent at 261 pence in morning trade.
The BA decision comes on the same day that Australia's biggest airline, Qantas, announced fuel surcharges between A$6 (€3.50) and A$15(€8.82) to tickets.
German airline Lufthansa this week raised its jet fuel surcharge for its cargo business, while Scandinavian airline SAS has said it is considering a surcharge.
BA's fuel surcharge applies to all fares sold across its global network. In all markets outside Britain, a surcharge of $4 per single flight will be added.
Fuel costs account for about 11 per cent of BA's total costs, and a company spokesman said earlier this month that costs were likely to be £100 million sterling higher in the year to March 2004 than the year before.