aperaexe01: Airline fuel costs up almost a third since last year

Tuesday, June 14, 2011

Airline fuel costs up almost a third since last year

Filed under: North America, United States, Airlines

So, how expensive is fuel for the airline industry? Brace yourself: the situation is pretty ugly. In April 2011, airlines in the United States dropped an average of $2.99 a gallon on fuel. That number sounds a lot better than what you're seeing at the pump, right? How can it be that bad?

Well, this is yet another month-over-month increase. In March, the airlines spent an average of only $2.80 a gallon on get fuel, according to the latest data from the U.S Department of Transportation's Bureau of Transportation Statistics. In 30 days, we're looking at a 6.8 percent spike. Look back even further, and the numbers don't get any prettier. In April 2010, the U.S. airline industry spent an average of $2.29 on fuel. In one year, the average cost has surged an incredible 31 percent!

If you thought driving was too expensive because of gas prices, you'll find the skies decidedly unfriendly.

[photo by octal via Flickr]

Airline fuel costs up almost a third since last year originally appeared on Gadling on Tue, 14 Jun 2011 13:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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