Domestic flights are seeing an increase, as FlySafair, South Africa’s largest and most popular domestic airline, has announced plans to implement a temporary fuel surcharge on ticket prices.
This decision comes in response to the soaring fuel costs resulting from the ongoing conflict in the Middle East, particularly the US-Israel-Iran war, which is causing global repercussions that are increasingly being felt.
Since late February 2026, global fuel prices have increased significantly following the conflict in the Middle East. This disruption has affected oil supply routes and caused aviation fuel prices to rise sharply,” FlySafair announced in a recent press statement.
The crisis in the Middle East, characterised by coordinated US-Israel strikes on Iran, started on 28 February. The conflict began with extensive attacks aimed at the Iranian leadership and military infrastructure, which promptly triggered widespread regional retaliation and assaults on Gulf nations.
Like other regions worldwide, African nations are facing heightened economic challenges due to the ongoing conflict in the Middle East. Le Monde reported that on Monday, 9 March, the price of a barrel of oil exceeded $110 and remained above $100 on Thursday, attributed to the Middle East war and the closure of the crucial Strait of Hormuz.
Following the assassination of Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, Iran’s new leadership declared earlier this month their commitment to keeping the Strait of Hormuz closed. This strait serves as a critical oil export route, linking major Gulf oil producers, including Saudi Arabia, Iran, Iraq, and the United Arab Emirates, to the Gulf of Oman and the Arabian Sea.
The closure of the Strait and the conflict in the Middle East are already impacting economies, with Pretoria, the capital of Africa’s largest economy, openly recognising its susceptibility to global price fluctuations on Thursday, 5 March. “South Africa is a price taker,” acknowledged Enoch Godongwana, the Minister of Finance of South Africa, highlighting the “concerning” nature of the Middle East conflict, particularly if it persists for an extended period.
This situation is already having repercussions, and FlySafair, along with its flight attendants, is among the first to experience the effects. The temporary dynamic fuel surcharge differs by route and is determined by the distance travelled and the fuel needed for each trip.
The surcharge took effect on Thursday, 12 March, and applies only to flights departing on or before 12 March.
