ATF price up 5.46%, commercial LPG rates of 19 kg cylinder hiked by ₹9.50 | Economy & Policy News

Aviation turbine fuel (ATF) prices on Tuesday were hiked by 5.46 per cent, while the price of commercial LPG, used by establishments such as hotels and restaurants, was raised by ₹9.50 per 19-kg cylinder, in line with a rise in their international benchmarks.

The price of Jet fuel or ATF has been raised by ₹6.28 per litre, or 5.46 per cent, to ₹121.28 per litre for domestic airlines, according to state-owned oil firms.

The increase comes on the back of a ₹5 a litre rise in rates on August 1.

The two increases will add to the financial burden of airlines, for whom ATF makes up to 40 per cent of operating costs.

Commercial LPG prices have increased from ₹2,738 per 19-kg cylinder to ₹2,747.50. The price of the 5-kg market-priced cooking gas LPG cylinder, called 5-kg FTL, has also been increased from ₹762 to ₹764.

The rate hike follows two straight monthly reductions – a steep ₹192 per 19-kg cylinder cut on August 1 and a ₹183.5 cut on July 1. The two reductions in commercial LPG rates on July 1 and August 1 followed the West Asia crisis pushing rates to record highs in June.

After the outbreak of the conflict in late February, commercial LPG rates had risen by a massive ₹1,373 per 19-kg cylinder — from ₹1,740.50 in February to ₹3,113.50 in June.

ATF and LPG prices — revised on the first of every month, based on benchmark international prices and foreign exchange rates — vary from state to state depending on local taxes such as VAT.

Rates of domestic LPG used in household kitchens remain unchanged at ₹942 per 14.2-kg cylinder. Prices of domestic LPG were last raised by ₹29 per 14.2-kg cylinder on June 7. Rates had gone up by ₹60 in March after the West Asia crisis led to supply disruptions and a surge in international energy prices.

Petrol and diesel prices, which were hiked by about ₹7.50 a litre each in May, too, remained unchanged.