Lufthansa is to adjust its surcharges to counter the steadily-rising cost of fuel, introducing a staggered rate based on destination.

The German flag-carrier is amending the surcharges after stating that crude oil prices have risen 50% in the past six months.

Long-haul surcharges are currently fixed at €82 ($115) but this will fall to €77 for destinations in the Middle East and East Africa including flights to Asmara.

Routes to northern Africa and the Levant region will effectively be counted in the same category as European and German domestic services, whose surcharge will rise by 14% to €24.

“This will significantly reduce fares for flights to some…countries, as previously the long-haul surcharge applied for these flights,” says Lufthansa.

Surcharges to Indian and North American destinations remain unchanged at €82 but those for South American, southeast Asian, Asia-Pacific and other African routes will rise by 12% to €92.

Lufthansa, which recently warned that it would have to take cost-saving measures to avoid losses this year, says it is prepared to adjust surcharges further depending on the trend in fuel prices.

IATA’s fuel price monitor puts the cost of fuel at about $622 per tonne, as of 12 June, up 23% from the previous month - although this figure is still half that of a year ago.