If you’re planning an internal flight across Nepal anytime soon, expect your airfare to be slightly higher. Following a price hike in aviation turbine fuel (ATF) by the Nepal Oil Corporation, the Civil Aviation Authority of Nepal (CAAN) officially updated the Fuel Surcharge (FSC) rates for all domestic trunk routes, effective August 4, 2026.
The Numbers Behind the Hike
The decision to adjust the airfare components comes after the cost of domestic aviation fuel rose from NRs. 229.00 to NRs. 249.00 per liter—a 8.73% increase (+NRs. 20.00/liter).
To calculate the new sector rates, CAAN uses a technical formula based on aircraft burn rates and seating capacity:
- Fuel Surcharge Rate: NRs. 132.45 per seat, per minute of flight time.
- Impact Range: Depending on your route duration, tickets will cost anywhere from NRs. 180 to NRs. 1,100 more per seat in fuel surcharge alone.
Route-Wise Fuel Surcharge Breakdown
Here is how the revised fuel surcharge compares to the old rates across major domestic sectors:
| Sector | Flight Time (Mins) | Old Surcharge (NRs.) | New Surcharge (NRs.) | Net Increase (NRs.) |
| Kathmandu – Simara | 16.94 | 2,060 | 2,240 | +180 |
| Kathmandu – Bharatpur | 20.17 | 2,455 | 2,670 | +215 |
| Kathmandu – Janakpur | 24.20 | 2,945 | 3,205 | +260 |
| Kathmandu – Pokhara | 29.85 | 3,635 | 3,950 | +315 |
| Kathmandu – Bhairahawa | 38.73 | 4,715 | 5,125 | +410 |
| Kathmandu – Biratnagar | 45.17 | 5,500 | 5,980 | +480 |
| Kathmandu – Bhadrapur | 56.48 | 6,875 | 7,480 | +605 |
| Kathmandu – Nepalgunj | 61.31 | 7,465 | 8,120 | +655 |
| Kathmandu – Surkhet | 64.99 | 7,915 | 8,605 | +690 |
| Kathmandu – Dhangadhi | 83.09 | 10,120 | 11,000 | +880 |
| Janakpur – Dhangadhi | 103.23 | 12,570 | 13,670 | +1,100 |
(Note: The fuel surcharge is only one component of your total ticket price, which also includes the airline’s base fare, airport service charges, and 13% VAT).
