Stockholm  - The SAS Group, operator of the joint carrier Scandinavian Airlines, said Wednesday it has decided to introduce a surcharge to compensate for fuel price hikes.

Passengers on domestic flights were to pay an extra 10 euros (15 dollars) while passengers on European flights were to pay 15 euros (23 dollars) extra for tickets ordered as of Tuesday, SAS said.

Chief executive Mats Jansson signalled an imminent surcharge when he recently presented first-quarter results where the SAS Group posted a loss.

Fuel costs surged 70 per cent during the past year, but were partly offset by the weaker US dollar, SAS said.

The governments of Norway, Sweden and Denmark own a 50-per-cent stake in SAS, while private shareholders hold the rest. (dpa)