BTS data shows U.S. airlines paid $6.47B for fuel in April, up 78% year over year

U.S. airlines’ fuel costs rose sharply in April, according to a Bureau of Transportation Statistics release issued June 5 and later reported by The Hill on June 8. The BTS figures cover fuel cost and consumption for U.S. scheduled-service carriers, and they show that April 2026 fuel spending reached $6.47 billion, nearly $1.9 billion higher than the previous month’s total of $5.12 billion.

BTS said April fuel spending for scheduled service was up 26.2% from March 2026 and up 78.0% from April 2025. The report said carriers used 1.573 billion gallons of fuel in April, down 2.6% from March and down 0.2% from the same month a year earlier, indicating that the year-over-year jump was driven largely by higher prices per gallon rather than an increase in fuel burn.

The agency also reported that the cost per gallon of fuel in April was $4.11, up from $3.17 in March, a 29.6% increase, and up from $2.31 in April 2025, a 78.2% increase. BTS noted that all costs are in current dollars and that the gallons used are based on last carrier submissions, representing 99.9% of total consumption by major, national and large regional carriers.

The Hill’s coverage linked the elevated fuel costs to the ongoing war with Iran, saying the conflict had passed the 100-day mark as the BTS figures were released. Separately, Reuters reported that the Middle East conflict has been driving up jet-fuel prices, and that airlines have also been rerouting around closed or restricted airspace, which can increase fuel burn and strain capacity even when overall fuel consumption declines month to month.

Reuters also reported that the fuel-cost increase has already affected airlines operational outcomes. It cited Spirit Airlines, an ultra low-cost carrier, as having ceased operations in May, with the company attributing that outcome to rising fuel prices. Reuters further said that Delta Air Lines, United Airlines, American Airlines and Southwest Airlines account for about 80% of U.S. domestic flights, underscoring the scale of the exposure across major carriers.

In addition to carrier-specific effects, Reuters reported that the International Air Transport Association revised its outlook for industry profits, projecting a combined net profit of $23 billion for 2026, well below a prior estimate. Reuters also reported that average fares for flights with a U.S. origin had risen in 2026, citing KAYAK search data.

BTS said its monthly release is published on a fixed schedule required by the Office of Management and Budget and that the statistics may be revised if inputs are corrected or updated. The agency’s fuel cost and consumption figures are posted to its TranStats data system and are expected to continue as monthly updates as carriers submit fuel data for subsequent months.