The world price of kerosene fell by 4.9% on September 30, 2026, to $185.54 per barrel, according to IATA data cited by L'Écho touristique. In the week of September 23, the European average had reached $207.56 per barrel, after a monthly increase of 27.8%.
The recent relief does not take the pressure off European airlines. Fuel could account for 40% to 45% of operating costs, especially for low-cost carriers. Faced with the difficulty of transferring the entire increase to fares paid by price-sensitive travelers, some companies are reducing frequencies or canceling flights with insufficient occupancy.
Volotea has already cut more than 10% of winter capacity, and Air France-KLM has revised its capacity growth forecast to 2% to 3% in 2026. For tourism professionals, the main signal to follow is the effective availability of seats and frequencies, especially in the low season and on regional connections.
