BA introduced fuel surcharges in May 2004

Customers will pay an extra �5 on one-way long-haul trips, taking the surcharge to �38 for flights under nine hours and �43 for longer flights.

This is the second rise that the airline has announced in six weeks and the seventh in about two years.

BA blamed the increase on "increasingly volatile" oil prices and further rises in its fuel bill.

We believe the fuel surcharge continues to be the most transparent way for our customers to understand what they are paying Robert Boyle BA

'Little choice'

It added that the �8 fuel surcharge for one-way short-haul flights, �16 for a return, would remain unchanged.

The company said that it now expected to spend more than �2bn on fuel during the current financial year - its second-biggest cost.

"The cost of fuel has again risen significantly in recent weeks. Unfortunately, we have little choice but to pass on some of this extra cost to our customers," said commercial director Robert Boyle.

"We believe the fuel surcharge continues to be the most transparent way for our customers to understand what they are paying."

He added: "It allows us to adjust the direct cost to our customers appropriately, whether that is increasing or reducing the fuel surcharge as we did on some of our long-haul flights in January."

The increase will take effect from Wednesday, 13 June.

Passenger fuel surcharges were introduced to help the airlines with the rising cost of jet fuel and have come to make up a significant part of the price of an airline ticket.

When introduced in May 2004, the charge was �5 return for long haul flights, but it soared to as much as �70 for a return flight as companies tried to pass on rising costs to consumers.