Korea fuel surcharge 10/2026 — Korean Air, Asiana 9/2026 level 21; domestic 20,900~22,000 won
At a glance
- 10/2026 international
- Not announced by the airlines as of 15/9
- 10/2026 calculation period
- Average Singapore jet fuel price 16/8–15/9
- Application basis
- Ticket issue date, not travel date (Air Premia: payment date)
- 9/2026 Korean Air
- One way departing Korea 48,000~354,000 won
- 9/2026 Asiana Airlines
- One way 52,000~290,100 won
- 10/2026 domestic
- Korean Air, Asiana, Trinity 20,900 won; Jeju Air, Jin Air, Eastar Jet 22,000 won
- Changes after purchase
- No difference collected if it rises; no refund if it falls
- 9/2026 level
- Level 21 (Asiana Airlines notice)
As of 15/9, the 10/2026 international fuel surcharge has not yet been announced by the airlines. The 10/2026 amount is set from the average Singapore jet fuel price between 16/8 and 15/9. The 9/2026 amount now in effect is level 21 per Asiana Airlines' notice, with one-way surcharges departing Korea at 48,000~354,000 won on Korean Air and 52,000~290,100 won on Asiana Airlines. The fuel surcharge is based on the ticket issue date, not the travel date, so tickets issued through 30/9 carry the 9/2026 amount. The 10/2026 domestic surcharge is already announced: 20,900 won one way on Korean Air, Asiana Airlines and Trinity Airways, and 22,000 won on Jeju Air, Jin Air and Eastar Jet.
10/2026 international fuel surcharge — not announced as of 15/9
As of 2 p.m. on 15/9, no airline has announced the 10/2026 international fuel surcharge. The latest international notices from Korean Air, Asiana Airlines, Jeju Air, Eastar Jet, Trinity Airways and Air Premia all cover 9/2026.
According to Asiana Airlines' notice, the fuel price calculation period is "the 16th of the month two months before the application month through the 15th of the preceding month" (유류할증료 적용월의 전전월 16일~전월 15일까지). The 10/2026 amount is set from the average between 16/8 and 15/9. Korean Air announced the 6/2026 amount on 18/5, the 7/2026 amount on 16/6, the 8/2026 amount on 16/7 and the 9/2026 amount on 18/8.
Media forecasts differ. The Maeil Business Newspaper (8/9) reported a Eugene Investment & Securities researcher's forecast that level 22 would be maintained in 10/2026 as well, and Digital Times (10/9) reported a forecast of around level 23. The 9/2026 amount is level 21.
The fuel surcharge applies on a ticket issue date basis, regardless of the travel date. If you issue a ticket by 30/9, the 9/2026 amount applies even if the travel date falls in 10/2026 or later. Air Premia uses a payment date basis instead of the ticket issue date.
Korean Air 9/2026 fuel surcharge — one way departing Korea 48,000~354,000 won
These are the international fuel surcharges departing Korea that Korean Air announced on 18/8. There are 9 distance bands, and the 6,500~9,999 mile band covering New York, Boston and Toronto is the most expensive. Infants under 2 years old who do not occupy a seat are exempt, and there are no discounts.
| Distance (miles) | Main routes | 8/2026 | 9/2026 |
|---|---|---|---|
| ~499 | Incheon–Shenyang, Qingdao, Dalian, Yanji, Fukuoka | 35,200 won | 48,000 won |
| 500~999 | Incheon–Shanghai, Beijing, Narita, Osaka, Taipei, Sapporo, Okinawa; Gimpo–Haneda | 49,600 won | 66,000 won |
| 1,000~1,499 | Incheon–Guangzhou, Hong Kong, Ulaanbaatar, Macau | 64,000 won | 91,500 won |
| 1,500~1,999 | Incheon–Manila, Hanoi, Cebu, Da Nang | 80,000 won | 109,500 won |
| 2,000~2,999 | Incheon–Bangkok, Singapore, Ho Chi Minh City, Guam, Nha Trang, Phu Quoc | 99,200 won | 153,000 won |
| 3,000~3,999 | Incheon–Jakarta, Denpasar | 100,800 won | 156,000 won |
| 4,000~4,999 | Incheon–Dubai, Honolulu, Brisbane, Istanbul | 160,000 won | 216,000 won |
| 5,000~6,499 | Incheon–London, Los Angeles, Paris, Sydney, Frankfurt | 225,600 won | 325,500 won |
| 6,500~9,999 | Incheon–New York, Dallas, Boston, Chicago, Toronto | 259,200 won | 354,000 won |
Asiana Airlines 9/2026 fuel surcharge — level 21, one way 52,000~290,100 won
This is the fuel surcharge for international flights from Korea that Asiana Airlines posted in a notice for travel agencies on 18/8. The notice stated "collect level 21" (21 단계 징수), and the period of application runs from 1/9/2026 through 30/9 (ticket issue date basis). The most expensive are the Americas, Europe and Sydney routes at great-circle distances of at least 5,000 miles.
| Distance (miles) | Main routes | 8/2026 | 9/2026 |
|---|---|---|---|
| ~499 | Fukuoka, Yanji, Qingdao, Dalian | 36,600 won | 52,000 won |
| 500~999 | Osaka, Nagoya, Tokyo, Okinawa, Sapporo, Shanghai, Beijing, Taipei | 53,400 won | 76,500 won |
| 1,000~1,499 | Guangzhou, Chongqing, Hong Kong, Ulaanbaatar | 70,200 won | 99,600 won |
| 1,500~1,999 | Manila, Hanoi, Da Nang, Cebu, Saipan | 86,900 won | 124,100 won |
| 2,000~2,499 | Ho Chi Minh City, Bangkok, Guam, Phu Quoc, Nha Trang, Chiang Mai | 103,700 won | 147,200 won |
| 2,500~2,999 | Phuket, Singapore, Almaty | 120,500 won | 171,800 won |
| 3,000~3,999 | Tashkent, Jakarta | 137,300 won | 194,900 won |
| 4,000~4,999 | Istanbul | 170,800 won | 242,500 won |
| 5,000~ | Los Angeles, New York, Sydney, Frankfurt, Paris, London, Rome | 202,900 won | 290,100 won |
Jeju Air, Eastar Jet, Trinity Airways and Air Premia 9/2026 international fuel surcharge
Low-cost carriers (LCC) announce in different units. Jeju Air and Eastar Jet announced in dollars, Trinity Airways in won, and Air Premia in dollars. The 9/2026 amounts of Jeju Air and Eastar Jet are the same: USD 33, 42, 50, 60, 68 and 79.
Trinity Airways is the name T'way Air (티웨이항공) changed to as of 10/9/2026. Air Premia charges the fuel surcharge on the payment date rather than the ticket issue date.
| Airline | Shortest band | Longest band | Basis |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jeju Air | Under 500 miles, e.g. Fukuoka, Qingdao — USD 33 | At least 2,500 miles, e.g. Singapore, Denpasar — USD 79 | Ticket issue date |
| Eastar Jet | Group 1 (Fukuoka, Osaka from Busan, etc.) USD 33 | Group 6 (Almaty) USD 79 | Ticket issue date |
| Trinity Airways | Under 600 miles: 36,200 won | At least 5,000 miles: 247,500 won | Ticket issue date |
| Air Premia | At most 999 miles (Narita, Sapporo) USD 37 | At least 6,500 miles (Washington D.C., New York) USD 228 | Payment date |
10/2026 domestic fuel surcharge — split into 20,900 won and 22,000 won
Airlines announced the 10/2026 domestic fuel surcharge between 3/9 and 10/9. It is 20,900 won one way on Korean Air, Asiana Airlines and Trinity Airways, and 22,000 won one way on Jeju Air, Jin Air and Eastar Jet. The amounts include VAT and apply to tickets issued from 1/10 through 31/10.
Asiana Airlines announced that it does not charge the domestic fuel surcharge on domestic segments included in international tickets.
| Airline | 8/2026 | 9/2026 | 10/2026 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Korean Air | 16,500 won | 20,900 won | 20,900 won |
| Asiana Airlines | 16,500 won | 20,900 won | 20,900 won |
| Trinity Airways | 16,500 won | 19,800 won | 20,900 won |
| Jeju Air | 16,500 won | 20,900 won | 22,000 won |
| Jin Air | 16,500 won | 20,900 won | 22,000 won |
| Eastar Jet | 16,500 won | 20,900 won | 22,000 won |
How the fuel surcharge is set — Singapore jet fuel average, 33 levels, ticket issue date basis
Benchmark fuel price — The Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport explains the benchmark fuel price for the international fuel surcharge as the MOPS (Mean of Platts Singapore) jet fuel price, and wrote that Korean airlines buy most of their jet fuel on MOPS terms.
Levels — A 2016 Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport document wrote that the surcharge has 33 levels and is charged when the average jet fuel price is at least 150 cents per gallon. The 2018 Air Transport Service Report explained that after 150 cents, the fuel surcharge rises each time the price rises by 10 cents per gallon.
Distance bands — From 5/2016 the system changed to levy groups based on flight distance, and the airline sets the ranges of the bands. Band boundaries and amounts differ by airline.
Conversion to won — Korean Air, Asiana Airlines and Trinity Airways convert the amounts set in dollars into won at the average exchange rate over the same period as the fuel price calculation period.
If it changes after purchase — Korean Air, Jeju Air, Eastar Jet, Trinity Airways and Air Premia all announced that if the fuel surcharge rises by the time of travel after purchase they do not collect the difference, and if it falls they do not refund it.
Exemption — Infants under 2 years old who do not occupy a seat are exempt. Asiana Airlines wrote that the surcharge applies to all paid and unpaid tickets including mileage tickets, and Jeju Air and Trinity Airways wrote that it applies to all paid and unpaid tickets.
The so-called "fuel tax" (유류세) on air tickets is, in the official name used in airline notices, the fuel surcharge. The Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport's 2018 report wrote that the jet fuel used on international flights was originally tax-exempt.
Recent international fuel surcharge trend — level 33 in 5/2026 to level 14 in 8/2026, level 21 in 9/2026
The 2026 international fuel surcharge stood at the highest level, level 33, in 5/2026, fell to level 14 in 8/2026, and rose again to level 21 in 9/2026. Korean Air's one-way surcharge for the 6,500~9,999 mile band covering New York and similar routes was 564,000 won in 5/2026, 259,200 won in 8/2026 and 354,000 won in 9/2026.
| Month applied (ticket issue) | Level | Korean Air one way min~max |
|---|---|---|
| 5/2026 | Level 33 | 75,000~564,000 won |
| 6/2026 | Level 27 | 61,500~451,500 won |
| 7/2026 | Level 19 | 46,400~344,000 won |
| 8/2026 | Level 14 | 35,200~259,200 won |
| 9/2026 | Level 21 | 48,000~354,000 won |
| 10/2026 | Not announced as of 15/9 | Not announced as of 15/9 |
FAQ
When is the 10/2026 fuel surcharge announced?
As of 2 p.m. on 15/9, no airline has announced the 10/2026 international fuel surcharge. Korean Air announced the 6/2026 amount on 18/5, the 7/2026 amount on 16/6, the 8/2026 amount on 16/7 and the 9/2026 amount on 18/8.
Will the 10/2026 fuel surcharge go up?
It has not been announced as of 15/9. The Maeil Business Newspaper (8/9) reported a Eugene Investment & Securities researcher's forecast that level 22 would be maintained, and Digital Times (10/9) reported a forecast of around level 23. The 9/2026 amount is level 21.
Is the fuel surcharge based on the travel date or the ticket issue date?
Korean Air, Asiana Airlines, Jeju Air, Eastar Jet and Trinity Airways apply it on the ticket issue date regardless of the travel date. Air Premia uses the payment date.
Do I pay more if the fuel surcharge rises after I buy my ticket?
No. Airline notices wrote that even if the fuel surcharge rises by the time of travel after purchase, the difference is not collected, and if it falls it is not refunded.
How much is the Korean Air 9/2026 fuel surcharge?
One way departing Korea, it runs from 48,000 won for at most 499 miles to 354,000 won for 6,500~9,999 miles. The 500~999 mile band that includes Tokyo and Osaka is 66,000 won, and the 2,000~2,999 mile band that includes Bangkok and Singapore is 153,000 won.
How much is the 10/2026 domestic fuel surcharge?
One way, it is 20,900 won on Korean Air, Asiana Airlines and Trinity Airways, and 22,000 won on Jeju Air, Jin Air and Eastar Jet. VAT is included, and it applies to tickets issued in 10/2026.
How are fuel surcharge levels set?
They are set from the average of the MOPS (Mean of Platts Singapore) jet fuel price over the calculation period. A 2016 Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport document described a 33-level system charged when the price is at least 150 cents per gallon, and its 2018 report explained that the surcharge rises each time the price goes up by 10 cents.
Do infants pay the fuel surcharge?
Infants under 2 years old who do not occupy a seat are exempt.
Is the ticket "fuel tax" the same as the fuel surcharge?
The so-called "fuel tax" attached to air tickets is, in the official name used in airline notices, the fuel surcharge. The Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport's 2018 report wrote that the jet fuel used on international flights was originally tax-exempt.