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Jet fuel supply concerns grow as war with Iran drags on, airlines cut flights
A Lufthansa passenger aircraft is parked at a gate while a SASCA fuel truck services it on the apron at Toulouse Blagnac Airport in Blagnac in Occitanie in France on March 15, 2026.
Isabelle Souriment | AFP | Getty Images
The surging price of jet fuel isn’t the airline industry’s only problem. Now, it’s whether it will have enough.
Since the U.S. and Israel attacked Iran on Feb. 28, the price of jet fuel in the U.S. has nearly doubled, going from $2.50 a gallon on Feb. 27 to $4.88 a gallon on April 2, with the increases even sharper in other regions. The effective closure of the Strait of Hormuz is choking off supplies of both crude and refined products like jet fuel, further driving up the price.
That’s forcing airlines to consider cutting flights, especially overseas.
Carsten Spohr, CEO of Germany’s Deutsche Lufthansa, told employees in a webcast last week that the carrier is assigning teams to come up with contingency plans because of the war in the Middle East, including for drops in demand or a lack of jet fuel, a spokesman said. Those plans could include grounding some of its aircraft.
The U.S. produces a lot of jet fuel and isn’t as exposed as other regions like Europe and parts of Asia are in comparison. But aircraft fill up locally, so some U.S. airlines could face shortages on international trips.
United Airlines CEO Scott Kirby told reporters late last month that the carrier, which has the most service to Asia among U.S. airlines, would have to cut back its flights there. He also said it’s “not impossible” that airlines collectively would have to reduce service in that region.
He noted that as the price of jet fuel goes up, it could be more acute in parts of the U.S. that aren’t as connected by pipelines.
“There’s not enough refining capacity, and so fuel price prior to this and going forward is more susceptible to supply weakness on the West Coast than anywhere else in the country,” he said.
Kirby told employees earlier in March that the airline is preparing for oil to stay above $100 a barrel through 2027 and is pruning some of its flights in the near term.
“To be clear, nothing changes about our longer-term plans for aircraft deliveries or total capacity for 2027 and beyond, but there’s no point in burning cash in the near term on flying that just can’t absorb these fuel costs,” he said in a March 20 message to employees.
Travel demand wild card
Airlines overall are pruning some flights for the coming months, though they often adjust schedules throughout the year to match demand, aircraft availability or other complications.
Domestic capacity in the second quarter for U.S. carriers is up 2.1%, down from previous plans of 2.3% growth, while total capacity is set to rise 1.1%, down from 2.4% on the week ended March 20, according to a Monday report from UBS.
“We expect more capacity cuts in the coming weeks,” UBS said.
So far, airline executives have said that travel demand is strong, but the fuel strains and price spikes are a headache for carriers and passengers alike as the peak summer travel season approaches.
Fuel is generally airlines’ biggest expense after labor, and carriers are already raising airfare and fees like for checked luggage to make up for the added cost.
Investors will be listening for more insights into how the jet fuel spike could affect the industry as airline earnings kick off Wednesday with Delta Air Lines. That carrier owns a refinery, so it could benefit from jet fuel sales.
Delta on Tuesday raised checked bag fees, joining JetBlue Airways and United, which did the same last week.
The strong demand, particularly compared with this time last year could further insulate airlines, at least in the U.S. Last year, bookings fell as President Donald Trump‘s trade war kicked off with steep tariffs, markets sank and layoffs within the government, led by Elon Musk‘s so-called Department of Government Efficiency, took effect.
“The positive commentary on demand is still holding, but fuel at $4/4.50 [a gallon] for longer isn’t something airlines can pass through,” said Savanthi Syth, an airline analyst at Raymond James. “If fuel stays high, you’ll just see capacity being cut.”
Airlines could see a bigger problem if higher gasoline prices and other pressures on consumers cause a pullback in spending.
“We’re watching the airlines very closely right now. This doesn’t have to go on too terribly long at these [fuel price] levels before you start to see potential for ratings pressures,” said Joseph Rohlena, senior director at Fitch Ratings who covers U.S. airlines.
Business
Oil jumps above $100 as US to blockade Iranian ports after peace talks fail
The failure of negotiations at the weekend has raised concerns that the global energy crisis will deepen.
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Business
War in Gulf, layoffs hit discretionary spends – The Times of India
MUMBAI: Consumers seem to be cutting back on discretionary spends, allocating more budgets to essentials and value purchases as a mix of war-driven uncertainty and layoffs have nudged people to tighten their purse strings and save more. Even as the US and Iran agreed upon a two-week ceasefire last week, the prospects of a peace deal faded as talks between the two countries held in Pakistan failed to produce desired results. Analysts said that caution will prevail until there’s clarity on a full-fledged de-escalation. “Post mid-March, discretionary offtakes slowed down,” said Satyaki Ghosh, CEO at Raymond Lifestyle, pinning hopes on the upcoming wedding season to support demand going ahead. “We are running some value-based offerings but no direct discounts as yet,” Ghosh said. Consumers are not just curbing overall spending at stores, but are also gravitating more towards affordable options and value-driven choices, prioritising essentials over indulgences, said Tarun Arora, CEO & whole-time director at Zydus Wellness, maker of brands such as Complan and Glucon-D which is looking at smaller and more accessible formats where relevant. People are not necessarily trading down although there is some tightening of spends with simpler routines and fewer impulse additions, said Shankar Prasad, CEO at D2C beauty brand Plum. “What we are seeing is a gradual shift in consumer preference towards essential categories, with relatively higher spends on everyday, need-based products, while discretionary and indulgent purchases have softened a bit, which is typically the case during periods of uncertainty,” said Mayank Shah, chief marketing officer at Parle Products. For the time being, the company is focusing on pushing value packs of premium products so that even indulgent purchases remain accessible, said Shah. The war-led surge in crude oil has already pushed up costs for companies with firms pointing to inflationary pressures and looking to implement price hikes. Many firms across spaces such as edible oils, bottled water, beverages and consumer durables have already taken some price increases, straining middle class households. Analysts at Nuvama expect a post-election uptick in inflation across the country. “Footwear players shall likely face margin pressure as roughly 30% of their raw material inputs are crude-linked. QSRs may also experience cost headwinds from increased energy, packaging and secondary input expenses,” they said in a recent note. Alongside price hikes, the job market is also likely to see a slowdown as some companies freeze hiring amid uncertainty while AI-led tech layoffs continue to bruise the salaried class. Unilever, for instance, has frozen global hiring for three months due to the war.
Business
Coal imports fall 8.5% in February on high domestic stockpiles – The Times of India
India’s coal imports declined 8.5 per cent to 16.55 million tonnes in February, as record domestic stockpiles and firm global prices reduced reliance on overseas supplies, according to data compiled by mjunction services, reported PTI. The country’s coal imports are expected to remain subdued in the near term, with domestic miners stepping up efforts to liquidate accumulated inventories.
“A record high stockpile of domestic coal and firm seaborne prices resulted in a drop in thermal coal imports. With the domestic miners endeavouring to liquidate stocks, the weak trend in imports is expected to continue during the current month,” mjunction MD & CEO Vinaya Varma said.Coal imports had stood at 18.10 million tonnes in February 2024-25, while on a month-on-month basis, imports remained largely flat compared with 16.64 million tonnes in January 2026.Of the total imports in February, non-coking coal shipments fell to 9.80 million tonnes from 11.08 million tonnes a year ago. In contrast, coking coal imports rose to 3.92 million tonnes from 3.79 million tonnes in the same period.During April-February 2025-26, non-coking coal imports stood at 137.60 million tonnes, lower than 152.26 million tonnes in the corresponding period of 2024-25. However, coking coal imports increased to 54.31 million tonnes from 49.62 million tonnes.The decline in imports comes amid a broader push to strengthen domestic coal production under the government’s self-reliance initiative.India’s total coal output rose to 1,047.523 million tonnes in 2024-25 from 997.826 million tonnes in the previous year, registering a growth of about 4.98 per cent.Coal inventories at thermal power plants remained comfortable at around 55 million tonnes as of Tuesday, sufficient for about 24 days of uninterrupted power generation based on average consumption over the past week, a senior coal ministry official said.The stock position indicates “absolute no deficit” on the power generation side, coal Joint Secretary Sanjeev Kumar Kassi said, addressing concerns over potential shortages amid rising summer demand.“Coal stock at the power plants is around 55 million tonnes as of yesterday (Tuesday), adequate for 24 days of uninterrupted power generation based on the average consumption of the last seven days. So we have absolutely no deficit at the power generation side,” he said at an inter-ministerial briefing on developments in West Asia.The official added that domestic coal production is currently matching consumption levels.
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