Budget airlines built on cheap fares now face a painful reality: Fuel is getting expensive

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Budget airlines in Asia risk losing their price advantage as fuel prices rise and Middle East tensions disrupt key routes, forcing carriers to raise fares and cut expenses. Low-cost carriers rely on high passenger volumes and low fares, leaving them with thinner margins and less room to absorb fuel price swings and route disruptions than full-service airlines. Airline executives, speaking at the Aviation Festival Asia conference in Singapore, said they are now trying to cut costs, adjust fares