HONG KONG - The Civil Aviation Department of Hong Kong Tuesday gave the approval for passenger fuel surcharges levied by three airlines to be increased in March.

They included All-Nippon Airways, Cathay Pacific and Singapore Airlines.

The new maximum surcharges will be 230 HK dollars ($29.66) for short-haul flights and 1,039 HK dollars for long-haul flights, representing increases of seven percent and five percent.

Passenger fuel surcharges seek to allow airlines to partially recover the increase in operational costs due to fluctuations in aviation fuel prices.

The surcharges are reviewed regularly. The last review was done at the end of January when the maximum surcharge levels approved by the department were 215 HK dollars for short-haul flights and 988 HK dollars for long-haul flights.