US airlines’ monthly fuel spending surge 84 percent

NEW YORK

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)

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.

The May figure was 84 percent higher than a year earlier. Airlines spent $6.47 billion on fuel in April, the Bureau of Transportation Statistics said.

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 1.63 billion gallons in May, down 0.6 percent 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 percent 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.