Hong Kong Airlines said on 10 March that it will raise the fuel surcharge on tickets issued on or after 12 March, with the heaviest increases on its South-Asia network. Levies on Hong Kong–Maldives, –Bangladesh and –Nepal routes will jump 35.2 % to HK$384 (US$49), while surcharges on short-haul East and South-east Asian routes rise 30.8 % to HK$212. Long-haul travellers face a 25.5 % hike to HK$739. The carrier is the first Hong Kong-based airline to adjust charges since oil spiked above US$110 per barrel after February’s Iran conflict curtailed Gulf refinery throughput. Industry watchers expect Cathay Pacific and HK Express to follow suit within weeks, especially if Brent crude remains elevated.
![Hong Kong Airlines to hike fuel surcharges by up to 35 % as oil prices soar]()
Amid the uncertainty, travellers can at least simplify one variable—visa paperwork. VisaHQ’s Hong Kong platform (https://www.visahq.com/hong-kong/) provides fast online processing for entry permits to more than 200 countries, helping both corporate mobility teams and individual passengers secure required documents well ahead of trips and avoid costly last-minute delays as airfares and surcharges climb.
For mobility managers, the news signals immediate cost-escalation pressure on 2026 travel budgets, particularly for regional project teams that rely on the airline’s competitive South-Asia fares. Corporate procurement teams are advised to re-run total-trip-cost models, factoring in surcharges, and to consider advance purchase or corporate-fare hedging where contracts allow. Some multinationals are shifting non-essential intra-Asia meetings to virtual channels or consolidating trips to maximise value against higher ticket prices. From a policy standpoint, the surge will amplify calls for Hong Kong’s Transport and Logistics Bureau to accelerate adoption of sustainable aviation fuel (SAF)-linked levy relief, as practiced at Singapore’s Changi. Travel-intensive sectors such as garment sourcing and shipping services—where margins are tight—warn that persistently higher surcharges could erode the city’s competitiveness as a regional headquarters location.
Amid the uncertainty, travellers can at least simplify one variable—visa paperwork. VisaHQ’s Hong Kong platform (https://www.visahq.com/hong-kong/) provides fast online processing for entry permits to more than 200 countries, helping both corporate mobility teams and individual passengers secure required documents well ahead of trips and avoid costly last-minute delays as airfares and surcharges climb.
For mobility managers, the news signals immediate cost-escalation pressure on 2026 travel budgets, particularly for regional project teams that rely on the airline’s competitive South-Asia fares. Corporate procurement teams are advised to re-run total-trip-cost models, factoring in surcharges, and to consider advance purchase or corporate-fare hedging where contracts allow. Some multinationals are shifting non-essential intra-Asia meetings to virtual channels or consolidating trips to maximise value against higher ticket prices. From a policy standpoint, the surge will amplify calls for Hong Kong’s Transport and Logistics Bureau to accelerate adoption of sustainable aviation fuel (SAF)-linked levy relief, as practiced at Singapore’s Changi. Travel-intensive sectors such as garment sourcing and shipping services—where margins are tight—warn that persistently higher surcharges could erode the city’s competitiveness as a regional headquarters location.
