US airline fuel costs surged 78% in April 2025 to $6.5 billion

U.S. airlines paid $6.5 billion in fuel costs in April 2025, a 78% surge from the prior period cited in the post, based on U.S. Department of Transportation data. The post said the increase came amid the Iran War and argued the jump helps explain why airline fares rose 20.7% year over year in the April CPI inflation report. Fuel is one of the largest variable costs for carriers, so a sharp rise in energy prices can feed through to ticket prices as airlines try to protect margins.