US airlines’ monthly fuel spending surge 84 percent
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.
