U.S. Airlines April 2020 Fuel Use Down 70% in One Year

June 4, 2020

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

Fuel consumed by U.S. airlines’ scheduled services:

April 2019                  1.5 billion gallons

March 2020                 1.2 billion gallons

April 2020                   447 million gallons

April 2020 fuel consumption was the lowest since in records dating back to 2000.

Cost per gallon for U.S. airlines’ scheduled services:                               

April 2019                   $2.06

March 2020                 $1.48

April 2020                   $1.38  

April 2020 cost per gallon was the lowest since April 2016 ($1.33).

Total cost for U.S. airlines’ scheduled services fuel:

April 2019                   $3.1 billion

March 2020                 $1.7 billion

April 2020                   $617 million

April 2020 fuel total cost was the lowest in records dating back to 2000.

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 changes in fuel prices. The next monthly web update with May data is scheduled for July 8.

Individual airline numbers through December are available on the BTS website. Individual airline numbers for January, February and March will be available with the BTS first-quarter 2020 financial release on June 15. Individual airline numbers for April will be available with the BTS second-quarter 2020 financial release on Sept. 14.