By The Escape desk · Last verified 28 September 2026

Every ticket out of Changi carries airport charges on top of the fare: S$65.20 for each departing passenger in 2026, rising to S$70.20 in 2027. A new sustainable aviation fuel levy now joins them. It’s collected on tickets sold from 1 October 2026 for flights departing from 1 January 2027, and costs S$1 to S$41.60 depending on where you fly and in which cabin. Tickets sold before 1 October don’t pay it, even for flights in 2027, and transit passengers are exempt.

Quick facts

• Airport charges per departing passenger: S$65.20 in 2026, S$70.20 in 2027.
• The fuel levy is S$1 to S$41.60 per passenger.
• It applies to tickets sold from 1 October 2026, for flights from 1 January 2027.
• Economy to Bangkok pays S$1; economy to New York pays S$10.40.
• Transit passengers are exempt.
• The levy appears as a separate line on your ticket.

What is the fuel levy?

A charge on passengers flying out of Singapore to pay for sustainable aviation fuel, which the Civil Aviation Authority of Singapore buys centrally. The target is for 1 per cent of jet fuel used at Changi and Seletar to come from sustainable sources, rising to 3 to 5 per cent by 2030. Singapore is the first country to charge a levy of this kind.

How much is it?

Destinations are grouped into four bands, and premium cabins pay more.

Band	Covers	Economy / premium economy	Business / first
1	Southeast Asia (e.g. Bangkok)	S$1	S$4
2	Northeast Asia, South Asia, Australia, Papua New Guinea (e.g. Tokyo)	S$2.80	S$11.20
3	Europe, Middle East, Africa, Central and West Asia, New Zealand, Pacific Islands (e.g. London)	S$6.40	S$25.60
4	The Americas (e.g. New York)	S$10.40	S$41.60

On a flight with stops, the band is set by your first destination after Singapore.

When does it apply?

Both conditions must be met: the ticket is sold on or after 1 October 2026, and the flight departs on or after 1 January 2027.

Ticket sold	Flight departs	Levy?
Before 1 October 2026	Any date	No
From 1 October 2026	Before 1 January 2027	No
From 1 October 2026	From 1 January 2027	Yes

The levy was first meant to start in April 2026. The authority postponed it by six months when oil prices spiked, and it has also deferred the levy on air cargo by a year.

What else is in the fare?

Airport charges for each departing passenger, which are set to rise every year to 2030:

Year	Total charges per departing passenger
2026	S$65.20
2027	S$70.20
2028	S$73.20
2029	S$76.20
2030	S$79.20

The fuel levy is added on top. An economy passenger to New York in 2027 will pay S$80.60 in charges and levy, before the fare itself.

The WahLiao Verdict

If a 2027 trip is already certain, booking before 1 October saves the levy: a dollar or a few in economy, up to S$41.60 in business. Don’t book a trip you’re unsure about just to dodge it. Airlines usually sell only about a year ahead, so the levy will catch everyone soon enough.

Questions people ask

Do transit passengers pay?

No. The levy applies only to passengers departing from Singapore.

Where will I see it?

As a separate line item on your ticket; airlines are required to show it.

Will the rates change?

They are meant to stay fixed for a few years, and they came in lower than the first estimates because sustainable fuel prices eased.

My ticket to Tokyo connects in Bangkok. Which band?

Band 1, because the band follows your first stop after Singapore.

Sources: The Milelion, levy collection confirmed from October 2026 (4 September 2026); The Straits Times via Asia News Network on the levy rates (November 2025); RinggitPlus on bands and airport charges; Biofuels International on the destination bands. The New York total is the desk’s own arithmetic from those figures.

Read next: Changi Airport Departures · SG Arrival Card and Malaysia’s MDAC · Renewing Your Singapore Passport · Back to The Escape

For what’s worth it this week, with the bill shown, read The WahLiao Week.