Starting today parents flying from the mainland airports are not required to pay the fuel surcharge for children under 2 and will get a half discount for those between 2 and 12, the official website of industry watchdog published yesterday.

The policy was drawn up by the National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC) and the Civil Aviation Administration of China (CAAC) following customer dissatisfaction with a new jet fuel surcharge policy which came into effect on April 10.

According to the supplementary circular infants are now exempt from the fuel surcharge which normally accounts for 10 percent of the cost of an air ticket. 

Tickets for children purchased at half price will cost 20 yuan more if the traveling distance is less than 800 kilometers and 30 yuan if the flight is more than 800 kilometers.

Before the surcharge for infants and children was same as adults and many passengers expressed their discontent at this through ticket agencies. However, some domestic airlines including Shanghai Airlines and China Eastern, don't surcharge accompanied infants, according to local media reports.

Passengers on domestic flights in China started to pay fuel surcharges last August. This was designed to help airlines cope with soaring fuel prices. The oil price continued to rise and the air industry extended the policy last November.  

On April 10, the CAAC and the NDRC jointly issued a notice raising the level of fuel surcharges from the original 20 to 30 yuan on flights of less than 800 kilometers and from 40 to 60 yuan on routes over 800 kilometers.

(China.org.cn Shenzhen Daily April 20, 2006)