YLKI Criticises Increase in Aircraft Fuel Surcharge
The Indonesian Consumer Foundation (YLKI) has criticised the government’s move to raise the additional fuel cost, or fuel surcharge, on air tickets.
“YLKI believes that this policy has the potential to further burden consumers in the midst of economic pressures and declining purchasing power,” said YLKI’s Daily Chairman, Niti Emiliana, in a written statement on Saturday, May 16, 2026.
The decision to increase the fuel surcharge by up to 50 percent was announced by the Director General of Air Transportation at the Ministry of Transportation, Lukman F. Laisa, on May 14, 2026. Lukman said that the provision was based on an evaluation of Avtur prices as of May 1, 2026, with an average price of IDR 29,116 per liter.
In Transportation Minister Decree Number KM 1041 of 2026, it is stated that the amount of fuel surcharge is determined based on the average Avtur price set by aviation fuel providers. The highest percentage surcharge ranges from 10 percent to 100 percent of the upper tariff limit, adjusted to fluctuations in the applicable Avtur price.
In response to this decision, Niti fears that the increase in the fuel surcharge will have a domino effect on air transportation logistics costs, thus impacting rising prices and a broader decline in public purchasing power.
According to Niti, instead of raising the fuel surcharge, the government should focus on addressing the root problems of the national aviation industry, such as Avtur trade arrangements, airline operational efficiency, tax structures, and business competition issues.
In addition, Niti believes that tariff increases are not always followed by improvements in service quality. She said that consumers still often face problems such as flight delays, slow complaint handling, complicated refund processes, unilateral schedule changes, and baggage issues.
Therefore, Niti urges airlines to improve service quality, especially punctuality and consumer complaint handling, if air ticket prices increase.
In addition, Niti requests full transparency regarding the details of additional costs so that there are no hidden cost mechanisms that harm consumers. She asks that the public have access to a formula for calculating the fuel surcharge openly and accountably.
Regarding this situation, YLKI urges the government to maintain stability in air ticket prices so that they remain affordable, provide special mechanisms or incentives so that price increases are not too significant, and make the determination of the fuel surcharge transparent.
Furthermore, YLKI asks that tariff increases be followed by improvements in airline service quality, strengthen supervision of airlines so that they do not arbitrarily raise prices, and conduct periodic evaluations of this policy to ensure that it remains in the best interests of consumers.
YLKI emphasizes that the public should not be made the primary party responsible for various structural problems in the national aviation industry. YLKI urges state presence to ensure that air transportation remains fair, affordable, and pro-public.
Tempo attempted to request a response from the Director General of Air Transportation, Lukman F. Laisa, regarding YLKI’s criticism of the increase in the fuel surcharge. However, Lukman has not responded to questions sent by Tempo via the WhatsApp messaging application as of the publication of this article.
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