U.S. airlines - fuel consumption 2004-2021

In 2021, due to the coronavirus pandemic, only 13.8 billion gallons of fuel were consumed by U.S. airlines, compared to a high of 18.43 billion gallons in 2007. While the consumption of airline fuel in the United States has increased in recent years, it is yet to surpass the levels seen prior to the 2008 recession.

Commercial airlines

The above figures include all commercial air carriers based in the U.S. who carry cargo and/or passengers on domestic or international flights, and with annual revenue of over 20 million U.S. dollars. Excluded is airline fuel used for military or private flights. Given that the U.S. has the largest business and military aircraft fleets in the world, if included the figures would be appreciably higher.

Overall growth in commercial aviation

Given the commercial aviation market in the U.S. has experienced strong growth since 2009, with revenue figures and passenger traffic well above pre-recession levels, the fact that fuel consumption is currently lower than in 2007 may appear curious. The likely explanation is that the cost of airline fuel reached record levels around 2012, forcing airlines to find ways to decrease fuel consumption wherever possible.