Airline fuel spending tops $6 billion, up 84% from last year
Spirit Airlines shuts down amid higher fuel prices
We are learning more this weekend after the news broke that Spirit Airlines is going out of business after 34 years of offering discounted fares. The airline recently announced that all flights have been canceled and customer service is no longer available. LiveNOW’s Alexandra Goldberg is speaking with Alexander Gladstone with The Wall Street Journal as Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said other airlines were offering seating options to Spirit Airlines employees who may be trying to get home.
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.
Dig deeper:
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.
By the numbers:
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 Bureau of Transportation Statistics said.
FILE - Air TravelA Delta Air Lines passenger plane approaches to land at LAX airport in Inglewood, California, on May 23, 2026. (Photo by Michael Yanow/NurPhoto via Getty Images)
Big picture view:
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.
The Source: Information for this article was taken from The Associated Press and previous reporting by FOX Local.