LOS ANGELES, May 6 (Xinhua) -- U.S. airlines spent 5.06 billion dollars on jet fuel in March amid turmoil in the Middle East, an increase of 56.4 percent from February and 30.4 percent over a year ago, the U.S. Department of Transportation said Wednesday.

A refueling truck stops by a Southwest Airlines plane at LaGuardia Airport in New York, the United States, on April 23, 2026. （）

U.S. airlines consumed 1.615 billion gallons of fuel, representing a 19.5 percent increase from February and a 0.4 percent rise from March 2025. The average cost of fuel in March was 3.13 dollars per gallon, up 74 cents (30.9 percent) from February and 72 cents (29.9 percent) higher than a year earlier.

The surge in fuel prices driven by conflicts in the Middle East has placed significant pressure on airline operations. Spirit Airlines, an American ultra-low-cost airline headquartered in Florida, announced Saturday that it has officially ceased operations after soaring fuel costs undermined its ability to emerge from bankruptcy.