Rising oil prices are putting pressure on the global aviation sector and threaten to drive up ticket prices

Tuesday, March 17, 2026 - 10:15

- Escalating geopolitical turmoil in the Middle East is gradually beginning to impact the global air transport sector, amid a striking rise in oil prices, raising concerns about a new wave of higher airfare prices, particularly on long-haul flights.

With the price of a barrel of oil exceeding the $100 mark, airlines are facing increasing pressure due to rising fuel costs, one of the most significant components of operating expenses in this sector. This increase is expected to gradually be reflected in ticket prices, particularly on intercontinental flights that consume larger amounts of kerosene.

In this context, the Franco-Dutch airline group Air France-KLM announced a price increase on some long-haul flights, noting that this increase could reach around 50 euros round-trip in economy class.

Other airlines have also resorted to imposing additional fees linked to rising fuel prices, including Scandinavian SAS, Cathay Pacific, Air India, and Australia’s Qantas, with these fees in some cases reaching tens of euros per ticket on long-haul flights.

In Belgium, airlines appear to be more cautious in dealing with these developments. Dorothea von Boxberg, CEO of Brussels Airlines, confirmed that the company follows a policy of pre-purchasing fuel through its parent group, Lufthansa, covering about 80 percent of its kerosene needs for 2026, which provides it with a degree of protection against energy price fluctuations.

For its part, the Belgian airline TUI fly noted that its fuel hedging level is “very good” for the current year, confirming that it does not currently expect to impose additional fees linked to rising energy prices.

According to the Belgian press, many European airlines rely on financial strategies based on what are known as hedging mechanisms, which involve purchasing fuel in advance at fixed prices for periods sometimes extending to several months or years, thereby mitigating the impact of sudden fluctuations in the oil markets.

Aviation industry experts note that European airlines tend to employ relatively high levels of hedging compared to some of their North American counterparts, which rely more heavily on spot market prices.

Major groups such as Lufthansa are among the companies best prepared to deal with the current surge in fuel prices, along with a number of low-cost airlines in Europe such as easyJet, Ryanair, and Wizz Air, which in turn rely on strict financial policies to limit costs.

This comes at a time when global energy markets are in a state of anticipation amid growing fears of escalating tensions in the Middle East, which directly impacts oil prices and international supply chains.

Analysts believe that persistently high prices over an extended period could prompt more airlines to pass on part of the fuel cost to passengers, particularly on long-haul flights, which remain the most energy-intensive in the air transport sector.

Conversely, experts stress that the impact of these increases will depend on several factors, including geopolitical developments in the region, the stability of energy markets, and the pace of global demand for air travel.

With the European summer travel season approaching, aviation industry players are closely monitoring oil price developments over the coming months, as these factors could play a decisive role in determining ticket price trends and the level of demand for air travel for the remainder of 2026.