Citing the recent hike in the aviation fuel prices, domestic airlines have increased the airfare, imposing surcharges up to Rs 725, from Wednesday.

The Airlines Operators Association of Nepal (AOAN) announced to add surcharges ranging between Rs 240 and Rs 725 in both trunk routes and short-takeoff-and-land routes.

The airfare to Pokhara from Kathmandu will cost Rs 290 more while the passengers will have to pay a surcharge of Rs 580 for Kathmandu-Nepalgunj flight and vice versa, Rs 385 for Biratnagar, Rs 485 for Bhadrapur and Rs 340 for Bhairahawa. Surcharge has been imposed in all other routes, according to the AOAN.

The Association said surcharge has been imposed to counterbalance the losses suffered by airlines operators due to increased fuel prices.

The operators had been preparing to increase the air ticket prices immediately after the Nepal Oil Corporation (NOC) announced 23 percent hike in aviation fuel price, fixing the price of per litre fuel at Rs 68.

Meanwhile, the Ministry of Culture, Tourism and Civil Aviation has described the hike in airfare as illegal.

Ministry officials said after a meeting with AOAN representatives on Wednesday, which ended inconclusive, said operators didn’t have the authority to increase airfare at their will and that they needed government permission before announcing any increase in fares.