Finance
Iran War Fuel Hike Adds $100 to Long-Haul Flight Cost, Study Says
Published by Global Banking & Finance Review®
Posted on April 21, 2026
3 min readLast updated: April 21, 2026
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A Transport & Environment (T&E) study finds that the Iran war’s disruption to oil supplies has increased jet fuel costs for long‑haul flights from Europe by about €88–€90 (roughly $104), likely leading to ticket price hikes and prompting airlines to seek policy relaxations.
Iran War Drives Up Jet Fuel Prices, Adding $100+ to Europe Long-Haul Flights
Impact of Iran War on Jet Fuel Prices and European Air Travel
By Kate Abnett and Joanna Plucinska
Rising Costs for Airlines and Passengers
BRUSSELS/LONDON, April 21 (Reuters) - Disruption to global oil supplies from the Iran war has added more than $100 to the price of long-haul flights from Europe, a cost likely to trigger higher ticket prices, campaign group Transport & Environment (T&E) said.
The rise in jet fuel prices has increased the average fuel cost by 88 euros ($104) for each passenger on long-haul flights leaving Europe and 29 euros on flights within Europe, T&E said.
Comparison of Fuel Prices Before and After Conflict
Its analysis compared prices as of April 16, with those just before the U.S. and Israeli war with Iran began on February 28.
Jet fuel for a flight from Barcelona to Berlin would be 26 euros more expensive per passenger, while a long-haul trip from Paris to New York would cost 129 euros more in fuel, T&E estimated in its analysis published on Tuesday.
Airline Response and Industry Challenges
European airlines are preparing for a challenging spring and summer, with jet fuel prices having risen to well over $100 a barrel since the Iran war began and concern growing that shortages could lead to flight cancellations.
EU Guidelines and Calculations
The European Union is set to respond with guidelines on managing limited jet fuel supply on Wednesday.
T&E calculated the average fuel burn on all flight routes departing from Europe, and divided this by the number of departing passengers, to calculate how much the fuel price spike would add to the cost per person.
Potential Impact on Consumers
Airline executives from carriers including Lufthansa, Ryanair and Air France-KLM said in March that they were likely to pass on higher fuel costs to consumers if the Strait of Hormuz remained closed longer-term.
Climate Policy and Calls for Change
T&E said its calculations showed the extra costs from the fuel price spike were far bigger than the costs airlines face from complying with EU climate change policies.
"The Middle East crisis proves that our real vulnerability is a tank filled with foreign oil, not the laws designed to fix it," said Diane Vitry, director of aviation at T&E.
Airline Lobbying and EU Energy Independence
Airlines have called for a rollback of some EU climate policies, including a 2030 mandate to use synthetic green jet fuel as well as a review of upcoming carbon pricing rules.
As part of its package, the EU is set to push for energy independence through greater investments in green jet fuel.
($1 = 0.8489 euros)
(Reporting by Joanna Plucinska; Editing by Alexander Smith)
Key Takeaways
- •T&E’s analysis shows long‑haul flights from Europe now cost an extra €88–€90 in fuel per passenger, compared with pre‑war levels around February 28, roughly equating to over $100 USD, with intra‑Europe flights up by about €29. T&E highlights this spike far exceeds cost impacts from EU climate mandates. (transportenvironment.org)
- •Jet fuel prices have more than doubled since the Iran war began, rising from about $99 per barrel at the end of February to as high as $209 per barrel by early April, leading many airlines to raise fees or adjust networks. (apnews.com)
- •Europe’s jet fuel supply is under strain—International Energy Agency warns the region has maybe six weeks’ worth of jet fuel left, raising concern over potential shortages, cancellations, and capacity cuts if the situation persists. (apnews.com)
References
Frequently Asked Questions about Iran war fuel hike adds $100 to long-haul flight cost, study says
1How much has the Iran war added to the cost of long-haul flights from Europe?
The Iran war has added more than $100 to the price of long-haul flights departing from Europe, according to Transport & Environment.
2How did the increase in jet fuel prices affect flights within Europe?
For flights within Europe, the average fuel cost per passenger rose by around 29 euros since the onset of the Iran war.
3Are airlines likely to pass increased fuel costs onto consumers?
European airline executives said in March they are likely to pass higher fuel costs to consumers if the crisis continues.
4What is the EU's response to the jet fuel supply concerns?
The European Union plans to issue guidelines on managing limited jet fuel supply as prices soar.
5How do extra fuel costs compare to EU climate policy costs for airlines?
Transport & Environment said the extra fuel costs from the recent price spike are much greater than airline costs from EU climate policies.
