LONDON, April 29: British Airways said on Tuesday it would hike its fuel surcharge on long-haul and short-haul airfares due to soaring oil prices that increase the cost of kerosene or jet fuel.

“British Airways will increase its fuel surcharge on all tickets issued from Friday May 2, 2008. The decision reflects continuing high oil prices,” a company statement said.

The surcharge for single-fare longhaul flights of less than nine hours will rise by ten pounds (13 euros, 20 dollars) per flight to 63 pounds, BA said. The cost would increase to 126 pounds for return flights.

The surcharge for single-fare longhaul flights of more than nine hours would increase by 15 pounds to 79 pounds per flight. It would jump to 158 pounds for a return fare.

BA added that its short-haul fuel surcharges would be lifted by three pounds per flight, or 26 pounds for a return trip.

Last February, it was announced that British Airways and Virgin Atlantic were to pay a combined $200 million in compensation to millions of passengers for previously colluding over fuel surcharges.

In August 2007, BA was slapped with a $300 million criminal fine by a US federal court after it admitted fixing fuel surcharges levied on flights between the United States and Britain.

The airline was handed record fines totalling $246 million in Britain for its actions.—AFP