Ryanair has again renewed its guarantee of no fuel surcharges as the Office of Fair Trading in the UK and the US Department of Justice launched an investigation into the extortionate fuel surcharges applied by British Airways and other flag carriers.

Ryanair says it is the only airline to guarantee its passengers that it will never apply a fuel surcharge, not today, not tomorrow, not ever, even if oil hits 100 a barrel. Ryanair claims its average fare of £28 is now lower than British Airways' fuel surcharge of £35.

Peter Sherrard, Ryanair's Head of Communications said: "It is about time that British Airways' fuel surcharges were investigated. It is ridiculous that as the price of oil has doubled to $70 a barrel, British Airways has increased its fuel surcharge 14-fold. When BA collected more in fuel surcharges (£470 million) than its entire profit after tax last year something is clearly wrong!"