A technician prepares a Delta Air Lines aircraft to refuel at Austin-Bergstrom International Airport on April 10, 2026, in Austin, Texas.
Brandon Bell | Getty Images
U.S. airlines spent 56.4% more on jet fuel in March than in February, the month after the U.S. and Israeli offensive against Iran began, according to U.S. government data released Wednesday.
U.S. airlines spent $5.06 billion on fuel in March, up from $3.23 billion in February. It was 30% more expensive than what they paid in March 2025, according to the Department of Transport.
Airlines have lowered their forecasts for 2026 or withdrawn them altogether, citing soaring fuel costs, their biggest expense after labor costs. Some carriers have scaled back their growth plans to cut costs and avoid having too much expensive capacity in the market.
As the war continued and the Strait of Hormuz was effectively closed, jet fuel prices soared even more sharply, topping $4 a gallon in some markets in April.
Spirit Airlines went into bankruptcy over the weekend, with the airline announcing that rising jet fuel costs had thwarted its plans to emerge from bankruptcy in mid-year.
Other major airlines also told Wall Street when they reported earnings last month that they expect customers to be able to shoulder higher jet fuel costs by early 2027, if not by the end of this year.
So far, booking trends show consumers are still traveling. Airline ticket sales for travel agents in March rose 12% from a year earlier to $10.4 billion, with domestic trips up 5% and international flights up 1%, according to the Airlines Reporting Corporation.
