Export duties rise on petrol and diesel as domestic ATF prices climb 5.46%

The government raised export duties on petrol to Rs 1.5 a litre and diesel to Rs 25, while cutting the ATF export levy to Rs 19. Domestic jet fuel prices rose Rs 6.28 a litre to Rs 121.28, adding cost pressure for airlines and potentially affecting fares, airport traffic and travel-linked retail demand.

— Source publishedTue, 1 Sept, 2026, 18:34 IST·First seen Tue, 1 Sept, 2026, 19:13 IST·Source NDTV Profit

What happened

Indian Oil Corporation · The government raised petrol and diesel export duties while trimming ATF export levy. Domestic ATF prices rose 5.46% to Rs 121.28 per

Key facts

  • Petrol export duty: Rs 1.5 per litre
  • Diesel export duty: Rs 25 per litre
  • ATF export levy: Rs 19 per litre
  • Domestic ATF price increase: 5.46%
  • Domestic ATF increase: Rs 6.28 per litre
  • ATF price: Rs 115 to Rs 121.28 per litre
  • Jet fuel share of airline operating costs: 35% to 40%
  • Brent crude: near $90 per barrel
  • WTI crude: above $86 per barrel

Why this matters

Airport, duty-free and travel-retail expansion plans warrant closer demand sensitivity analysis as sustained ATF inflation could curb discretionary travel and passenger-led sales.

What to watch

  • Airline fare changes and capacity reductions on key domestic leisure and business routes.
  • Monthly ATF revisions, crude oil prices, rupee movement and any further export-duty adjustments.
  • Airport passenger traffic growth, particularly domestic leisure traffic and short-haul routes.
  • Airline margin commentary, fuel-surcharge announcements and route rationalization.
  • Travel-retail sales growth, airport concession footfall and duty-free average basket trends.
  • Road-freight rate increases and retailer commentary on diesel-linked logistics costs.
  • Review exposure to airport concessions, duty-free, travel accessories, luggage, foodservice and tourist-heavy store clusters.
  • Model a 3-8% domestic airfare increase and test impact on passenger footfall, conversion and average transaction value at airport locations.
  • Assess carrier-specific exposure: low-cost airlines and unhedged operators may cut routes, capacity or promotional fares before premium carriers.
  • Revisit freight surcharges, intercity replenishment routing and vendor delivery terms if diesel-duty changes feed through to transport costs.
  • Prioritize value bundles and lower-ticket travel essentials in airport and transit formats if passenger spend becomes more price-sensitive.