The Department of Transportation’s Bureau of Transportation Statistics (BTS) today released U.S. airlines’ May Fuel Cost and Consumption numbers. 

Fuel consumed by U.S. airlines scheduled service:

May 2020                     453 million gallons

April 2021                    1.0 billion gallons

May 2021                     1.1 billion gallons

U.S. airlines used 9.4% more fuel in May 2021 than in April 2021 to reach the highest monthly consumption level since March 2020. The cost per gallon rose 13.1% to $1.98 per gallon in May from $1.75 in April.

Fuel cost per gallon for U.S. airlines scheduled service:      

May 2020        $1.03 

April 2021       $1.75

May 2021        $1.98    

The May 2021 cost per gallon ($1.98) for aviation fuel was up 23 cents per gallon from April 2021 ($1.75) to reach the highest level since January 2020 ($1.98). The May 2021 cost per gallon was up from May 2020 ($1.03) but down from May 2019 ($2.11).

Total fuel cost for U.S. airlines scheduled service:

May 2020           $466 million 

April 2021          $1.8 billion

May 2021           $2.3 billion

Total May 2021 fuel cost ($2.3 billion) was up from April 2021 ($1.8 billion) to reach the highest level since February 2020 ($2.4 billion). 

The Fuel Cost and Consumption page can be found here: https://www.transtats.bts.gov/fuel.asp Summaries by month are also available. 

Preliminary fuel cost and consumption numbers are industry summaries only. Airline fuel costs may be affected by hedging, contracts that allow airlines to limit exposure to future price changes. The monthly web update with June data is scheduled for August 4.

Individual airline numbers  through March are available on the BTS website. Individual airline numbers for April and May will be available with the BTS second-quarter 2021 financial release on September 13.