U.S. jet fuel demand is rising strongly

Fuel consumption by U.S. airlines is growing at some of the fastest rates for a decade, according to data published by the federal government.

U.S. carriers consumed 1.6 billion gallons of fuel in July, up 3.4 percent from the same month a year earlier (link.reuters.com/qad75w).

Fuel consumption for the first seven months of the year rose nearly 2.9 percent, the biggest increase since 2011 and before that 2005, according to the U.S. Department of Transportation.

Separately, the U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) has reported jet fuel consumption rose 4.7 percent year-on-year in January-June (according to product-supplied statistics) or by 6.6 percent in January-July (using prime supplier data).

Unlike the U.S. Department of Transportation fuel consumption data, which covers only U.S. airlines, the EIA numbers include all jet fuel consumed in the United States, including foreign carriers that refuel at U.S. airports. (by John Kemp, Reuters)