Virgin Atlantic Imposes Fuel Surcharges Up to £360

Virgin Atlantic has imposed fuel surcharges of up to 360 pounds on tickets, citing surging jet fuel prices triggered by Iran's blockade of the Strait of Hormuz amid escalating tensions with the United States and Israel.

The British airline announced the increases this week, adding 50 pounds to economy-class fares, 180 pounds to premium economy and 360 pounds to business-class tickets. The move follows Iran's closure of the vital shipping route on February 28, after a joint US-Israeli military operation targeted sites in Tehran and other Iranian cities. The strait handles about 20 percent of the world's oil and gas shipments, and the blockade has driven jet fuel costs up by as much as 58.4 percent in the past week, reaching their highest levels in four years, according to data from the International Air Transport Association.

Corneel Koster, Virgin Atlantic's chief executive, described the situation as unprecedented. "We have never seen jet fuel at this level and airlines cannot sustain those sorts of high costs," he said in recent interviews. Koster noted that failed peace talks between the US and Iran over the weekend offered little relief, warning travelers of further price...