This means fuel surcharges will disappear entirely for the first time since the end of January 2005. By lessening the financial burden on flyers, JAL and ANA target a recovery in customer traffic.

Currently, Japan’s two largest airlines each add a fuel surcharge of 7,000 yen on round-trip tickets for flights connecting Japan with Europe and the U.S., excluding Hawaii.

The surcharges are reassessed every three months. In light of a drop in crude oil prices since last summer, the airlines lowered fuel surcharges in January and April of this year.

July-September surcharges are typically based on the average price of jet fuel during the February-April quarter. The price averaged 55 dollars a barrel in the Singapore market, below the 60 dollar threshold at which the surcharge kicks in.

(The Nikkei May 8 morning edition)