WestJet Airlines said on Monday it will add a ticket surcharge of up to CAD$45 per flight to cope with high fuel prices, joining larger rival Air Canada, which last week also added a levy on its tickets because of surging crude costs.

WestJet, Canada's No. 2 airline, said the charge will range from CAD$20 to CAD$45 per ticket and be effective from Tuesday.

Oil prices have doubled over the past year, straining the profit margins of airlines as fuel bills rise, and pushing fares higher. US air carriers have moved to put surcharges on their ticket prices as well.

"We held off as long as economically possible," Bob Cummings, WestJet's executive vice president, said in a statement. "But with the unrelenting and unprecedented increases in the cost of fuel over the last year, we are implementing this measure to offset the effect."