U.S. jet fuel consumption growth slows after air travel recovers from pandemic slowdown

U.S. jet fuel consumption growth has slowed in 2025, following a period of rapid consumption growth after 2020, as U.S. air travel recovered from the COVID-19 pandemic. We forecast the slowdown in jet fuel consumption growth will continue through 2026, falling below both the accelerated rate of the previous four years and the longer-term growth rate seen during the 2010s. Contributing factors include rising economic concerns weighing on flight demand and ongoing improvements in commercial aircraft fleet fuel economy.