RE: Brent $87.50 - 305-310 close today6 Mar 2026 14:47
Let’s estimate **how the jet fuel price spike affects one typical flight** on an **Airbus A320**, which is one of the most common aircraft in Europe. ✈️
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# Example: A320 Fuel Cost Per Flight
### Aircraft fuel burn
Typical consumption:
* **2,500–3,000 liters per hour** of jet fuel ([Flying Insight][1])
* About **2.5 tons of fuel per hour** ([aviex.goflexair.com][2])
* Typical European short-haul flight: **2 hours**
So:
* **Fuel used ≈ 5,000 kg (≈6,250 liters)** for a 2-hour flight ([aeroptimum][3])
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# Cost per Flight (Before vs After the Iran War)
| Scenario | Jet fuel price (per barrel) | Approx fuel cost for 2-hr A320 flight |
| ----------------------------- | --------------------------- | ------------------------------------- |
| **Before conflict (2025)** | ~$90 / barrel | **~$2,600 – $3,000** |
| **Current disruption (2026)** | ~$160 / barrel | **~$4,700 – $5,300** |
*(conversion assumes ~7.9 barrels per ton of jet fuel)*
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# Cost per Passenger
Typical A320 seat capacity: **150–180 passengers**.
| Scenario | Fuel cost per passenger |
| ------------------- | ----------------------- |
| **Before conflict** | ~$15–20 |
| **Current prices** | ~$30–35 |
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# Example: Frankfurt → Barcelona (2 hr flight)
For a flight similar to **Frankfurt Airport → Barcelona–El Prat Airport**
| Period | Total fuel cost | Per passenger |
| ----------- | --------------- | ------------- |
| Before war | ~$2,800 | ~$18 |
| After spike | ~$5,000 | ~$32 |
So **fuel cost per passenger roughly doubled**.
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✅ **Important:** Fuel usually makes up **25–35% of airline operating costs**, so even a big fuel spike doesn’t double ticket prices—but it can raise fares **10–25%** if it persists.
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If you want, I can also show something interesting airlines watch:
**the “jet crack spread” (jet fuel – Brent)** which right now is **one of the widest in aviation history**. 📊 It explains why airline stocks react quickly