Spain's national airline Iberia is to begin charging additional fees between ¤5-15 (US$6.5-18.5) on flight tickets to offset surging oil prices, a spokeswoman said Wednesday. The measure, beginning Thursday, will only affect flights originating in Spain, the spokeswoman said. Domestic routes will rise by ¤5, European flights by ¤7 and ¤15 for intercontinental trips. Iberia's Chief Executive Angel Mullor announced the new charges Tuesday in Guatemala. Mullor said that US$50 a barrel was the top price the company could withstand without a price rise and that the charge would be eliminated once crude oil prices drop to a yearly average of US$43. Mullor said that Iberia was one of the last top European airlines to apply fuel surcharges, after similar measures taken in the last few weeks by companies such as British Airways and Air France-KLM.
