❗Let's close the gap: We still need your help to raise $40,000 by April 1. Donate now

As fuel prices go up, so do bottom line worries for smaller, regional airlines

Erika Beras Sep 4, 2018
HTML EMBED:
COPY
A plane. Bruce Bennett/Getty Images

As fuel prices go up, so do bottom line worries for smaller, regional airlines

Erika Beras Sep 4, 2018
A plane. Bruce Bennett/Getty Images
HTML EMBED:
COPY

Fuel prices are on the rise, and that’s a problem for budget airlines that need fuel  prices to stay low so they can keep ticket prices competitive. Fuel can account for up to 25 percent of airline operating costs, so it’s a big expense, but one that’s easier for the larger airlines to absorb. Smaller regional airlines are already dealing with other issues — pilot shortages, aircraft availability — and rising fuel costs are adding to their bottom line woes.

Click the audio player above to hear the full story. 

There’s a lot happening in the world.  Through it all, Marketplace is here for you. 

You rely on Marketplace to break down the world’s events and tell you how it affects you in a fact-based, approachable way. We rely on your financial support to keep making that possible. 

Your donation today powers the independent journalism that you rely on. For just $5/month, you can help sustain Marketplace so we can keep reporting on the things that matter to you.