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US airlines’ monthly fuel spending topped
$6 billion again in May, up 84% from year ago
[July 08, 2026]
By RIO YAMAT
U.S.
airlines spent $6.66 billion on jet fuel in May, the second straight
month that fuel costs topped $6 billion, according to government data
released Tuesday.
The May figure was 84% higher than a year earlier. Airlines spent $6.47
billion on fuel in April, the Bureau of Transportation Statistics said. |
An American Eagle plane is parked at a gate at the Ronald Reagan
Washington National Airport in Arlington, Va., June 29, 2026. (AP
Photo/Carolyn Kaster, File) |
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The
higher year-over-year spending has been driven mostly by pricier
jet fuel rather than a significant increase in how much of it
airlines consumed. U.S. carriers used 1.627 billion gallons in
May, down 0.6% from May 2025. Consumption was also slightly
lower in April compared with a year earlier.
The average price airlines paid for fuel in May was $4.09 per
gallon, down slightly from $4.11 in April but 85% higher than
the $2.21 they paid in May 2025, the agency said.
Airlines worldwide have responded to the jump in fuel prices by
raising fares and fees and trimming flight schedules. Fuel is
typically one of the industry’s largest operating costs, leaving
carriers particularly vulnerable to swings in energy prices.
The latest figures show the continued impact of the sharp rise
in energy costs after the conflict in the Middle East started
this year and disrupted shipping through the Strait of Hormuz, a
key route for global crude and fuel supplies.
Fuel prices have eased from their spring highs after the U.S.
and Iran reached an interim ceasefire agreement, offering some
relief to airlines after a costly spring. But the truce remains
fragile.
Three tankers were struck by projectiles Tuesday in the Strait
of Hormuz, according to the British military, and the U.S.
revoked a license that had allowed Iranian oil sales under the
agreement.
Delta Air Lines is set to report its second-quarter financial
results on Friday, kicking off a wave of earnings reports from
U.S. carriers. Executives are expected to discuss how recent
declines in fuel prices could affect the industry’s finances
going forward.
The average price for a gallon of jet fuel was $2.88 across the
key airline hubs of Chicago, Houston, Los Angeles and New York
on Tuesday, according to the Argus U.S. Jet Fuel Index. The
price fell under $3 a gallon June 15 for the first time since
early March and has remained below since.
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