U.S. Airlines' September Fuel Bill Falls 4.3% to $5.90 Billion as Cost per Gallon Rises to $3.86
The U.S. Department of Transportation's Bureau of Transportation Statistics (BTS) reported on November 5 that U.S. airlines' total fuel expenditure in September 2026 was $5.90 billion, down 4.3% from August 2026's $6.17 billion and up 69.2% from September 2025's $3.49 billion.
U.S. scheduled-service airlines used 1.527 billion gallons of fuel in September, 7.8% less than August's 1.656 billion gallons and 0.9% more than September 2025's 1.514 billion gallons.
The cost per gallon of fuel in September 2026 was $3.86, up 14 cents (3.7%) from August's $3.72 and up $1.56 (67.7%) from September 2025's $2.30.
BTS said the data are compiled from monthly reports filed by commercial air carriers as of November 3, and that Alaska Airlines and Hawaiian Airlines have merged and now report combined fuel data under Alaska Airlines. Fuel costs may be affected by hedging and contracts; none of the figures are adjusted for inflation, and month-to-month numbers are not seasonally adjusted.
(Source: Bureau of Transportation Statistics, U.S. Department of Transportation)
Source: 美国交通部运输统计局
Published by GSM · USA (original Chinese edition)
Photo: 图：位于华盛顿的美国交通部总部大楼。AgnosticPreachersKid 摄，CC BY-SA 3.0，经 Wikimedia Commons。 / Photo: U.S. Department of Transportation headquarters in Washington, D.C. Photo by AgnosticPreachersKid, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
