EU warns airlines against charging extra fuel fees after ticket purchase

EU Warns Airlines Against Charging Extra Fuel Fees After Ticket Purchase Amid Energy Crisis

The European Union has issued a strong warning to airlines against imposing additional fuel surcharges on customers after tickets have already been purchased. The announcement comes as the aviation industry continues to grapple with soaring energy prices exacerbated by the ongoing Middle East conflict.

EU spokesperson Anna-Kaisa Itkonen told reporters in Brussels on Friday that while airlines are allowed to adjust their published fares to reflect changing fuel costs, “adding a fuel surcharge to a ticket after it has been bought cannot be justified.” She further emphasized that any post-booking price changes could potentially violate the EU’s regulations against unfair commercial practices.

In an official document released the same day addressing the energy crisis’s impact on aviation, the European Commission made its position clear: “Any retroactive change of the price is excluded.” Airlines are prohibited from including terms and conditions that permit increasing ticket prices beyond what was advertised at the time of purchase solely due to unexpected fuel cost increases.

The only exception applies to package holidays, where the contract explicitly states that fuel-related cost adjustments may occur. In such cases, fuel surcharge increases are capped at eight percent. Should the increase exceed this threshold, customers have the right either to accept the new price or cancel their booking without penalty.

This stance follows public controversy, particularly involving Spanish low-cost carrier Volotea. The airline has faced criticism and is currently under investigation in France for charging customers additional fuel fees tied to the recent energy price shock caused by the war in the Middle East.

Gilles Gosselin, Volotea’s director for France, defended the company’s approach, telling AFP, “The legality of our system has been confirmed by three independent law firms specialising in air