On Friday, the price for aviation turbine fuel (ATF) was hiked by 5.5 percent for the fifth month in a row, but that of non-subsidised cooking gas (LPG) was cut by Rs 11 per cylinder, in line with global trends.
This is the fifth straight monthly increase in rates, the last being on 1 June when prices were hiked by a steep 9.2 percent, or Rs 3,945.47, to Rs 46,729.48/kl.
Despite ATF rates going up by 25 percent, or Rs 9,985.87 per kl since March, the fuel used in aeroplanes is still cheaper than petrol and diesel. A litre of petrol in Delhi costs Rs 64.76 a litre and diesel is priced at Rs 54.70 compared to Rs 49.28 a litre– the price of ATF.
Jet fuel constitutes over 40 percent of an airline’s operating cost and the latest price increase will add to the financial burden of cash-strapped carriers.
(WIth PTI Inputs)
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