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Estimated Fuel Refueling Costs by Aircraft Type
Comparison of fuel costs required to fill different classes of passenger aircraft at current market rates.
Primary Sources
Jet fuel prices drive a 56% surge in US airline costs - USA TODAY
May 7, 2026, 12:10 p.m. ETMajor U.S. passenger airlines spent just over $5 billion on jet fuel in March, up $1.8 billion or 56% from what they spent in February, the U.S. Transportation Department said on Wednesday.The cost per gallon of fuel in March was $3.13, up 74 cents, and 31% over February. Fuel use rose 20% in March, USDOT added.Since the U.S.-Israeli war with Iran began, disruptions to shipping through the Strait of Hormuz have roiled global oil markets. Surging jet fuel prices have created the air travel industry's biggest crisis since the COVID-19 pandemic.Airlines spent $3.88 billion in March 2025 on jet fuel, far below the $5.06 billion they spent in March of this year.Major U.S. carriers have hiked air fares and baggage fees, cutting some routes and making other cost cuts. Fuel accounts for up to a quarter of airline operating expenses.Ultra-low cost carrier Spirit Airlines, which ceased operations on Saturday, said this week it paid $100 million in additional fuel costs in March and April. It cited the fuel spike as the reason its restructuring plan failed and it was forced to end operatoins."Every airline is suffering from high fuel prices," Southwest Airlines CEO Bob Jordan told Reuters last week. "It's your job to build your business in a way that you're resilient and you can survive these things because they happen."Low-cost carriers last month asked USDOT for a $2.5 billion government bailout to address higher fuel costs, but Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said he did not think that was necessary "at this point."Reporting by David Shepardson; Editing by David Gregorio
This is how much airlines pay to fuel planes as oil tops $100 a barrel ...
This is how much airlines pay to fuel passenger jets as oil tops $100 a barrel — and what it means for ticket prices By Taylor Rains You're currently following this author! Want to unfollow? Unsubscribe via the link in your email. Airlines are spending significantly more on fuel as oil tops $100 per barrel amid the war in Iran. Al Drago/Getty Images 2026-05-12T21:18:23.652Z The price to fill commercial jetliners has nearly doubled as the Strait of Hormuz remains closed. It costs about $340,000 to fully fuel an Airbus A380, an increase of about 61% from pre-war levels. JP Morgan analysts said they expect oil to cost "in the low $100s" per barrel through 2026. Filling a Boeing 747 now costs more than a quarter million dollars as oil tops $100 a barrel — driving up already high fares during the peak summer travel season. Fuel is already airlines' largest expense after labor, and the recent price surge means filling passenger jetliners now costs nearly twice as much as it did earlier this year. Travelers are already starting to see the impact, with ticket prices climbing by hundreds of dollars.As the Spirit collapse showed, airlines' profit margins are strained by the unexpected jump in fuel prices. Before the US and Israel launched the war against Iran, in late February, the average cost to fill up an Airbus or Boeing long-haul widebody was about $114,000. That's since jumped to roughly $180,000.The fuel costs put upward pressure on airlines to raise ticket prices, but the extent to which they do may depend on the degree to which airlines have locked in fuel costs via hedging strategies, an industry analyst said.An analysis by Business Insider, using aircraft specifications and the average jet fuel price per gallon across major US cities, found that all classes of aircraft are seeing substantial spikes in the cost to fill up their tanks. Among the cheapest regional jets — a 50-seat Embraer E145 — costs about $6,800 to fill. Fueling a 600-seat Airbus A380 costs roughly $340,000.Popular narrowbody planes like the Airbus A320neo and the Boeing 737 — which typically seat roughly 150 to 200 passengers — cost between $23,000 and $46,000 to fill. Jets with extra fuel tanks, like the A321XLR and the 737 Max 9, sit at the high end of that range.Smaller regional aircraft now cost up to $17,000 to fuel; before the war, that figure was about $10,000.These figures assume a plane is filled to the brim with fuel. In reality, aside from certain ultra-long-haul flig...
Jet Fuel Surge: Airlines Grapple with Sky-High Costs Amidst Global Oil ...
U.S. passenger airlines faced significant financial challenges as jet fuel costs soared to $5 billion in March, marking a 56% increase from February. The industry's crisis was further aggravated by the U.S.-Israeli conflict with Iran, leading to global oil market disruptions and rising fuel prices. Major carriers have responded with fare hikes and restructuring measures.
Global Fuel Prices Surge Amid Ongoing Conflict
Today's conflicts are not isolated—they impact fuel, food, transportation, inflation, and economic stability universally. When oil supply routes become shaky, these effects quickly spill over into daily life, raising costs for driving, shopping, traveling, and even basic necessities.
