Jet Fuel Market Size & Share Analysis - Growth Trends and Forecast (2026 - 2031)

Global Jet Fuel Market Trends and Insights

Post-COVID Load-Factor Rebound Lifting Asia Jet A Demand

Asia-Pacific passenger load factors averaged 82.1% in January 2025, a level that obligated carriers to increase flight frequency and deploy larger twin-aisle aircraft, boosting jet fuel market demand.^{[1]International Air Transport Association, “Air Passenger Market Analysis,” iata.org} China’s domestic network recovered to 95% of 2019 capacity by mid-2025, yet international long-haul frequencies stayed 15–20% below pre-pandemic norms, creating latent demand that airlines expect to unlock once visa processing fully normalizes in 2026.^{[2]Airports Council International, “World Airport Traffic Report,” aci.aero} India’s twelve-month passenger growth of 14.2% to March 2025, buoyed by IndiGo’s order for 500 Airbus A320neo-family jets, cements South Asia as a structural growth engine for the jet fuel market. ASEAN low-cost carriers added 87 aircraft in 2024 with high-density layouts that intensify per-turn fuel uplift at primary hubs. Regional passenger traffic is now projected at a 6.3% CAGR to 2028, surpassing the global average and ensuring a double-digit rise in aviation kerosene consumption across India, Bangladesh, and Sri Lanka.

Expansion of Low-Cost Carriers Across Africa & ASEAN

Budget operators in Sub-Saharan Africa and Southeast Asia replicate Southwest Airlines’ single-type, point-to-point playbook but contend with nascent fuel infrastructure. Ethiopian Airlines’ low-cost arm deployed four Boeing 737-800s in 2024 to secondary East-African airports lacking robust hydrant systems, forcing trucked fuel sets that inflate costs by 10–15%. VietJet’s launch of 12 cross-border routes in 2024 under ASEAN open-skies drives episodic fuel shortages, where only one into-plane supplier operates. Boeing forecasts Southeast Asia will require 4,720 new aircraft by 2043, underpinning sustained growth for the jet fuel market. However, in Myanmar, Laos, and Cambodia, limited storage forces carriers to tanker fuel from coastal refineries, compressing the low-cost model’s margin buffer.

Surge in Wide-Body Freighter Orders on Trans-Pacific Routes

Boeing handed over 70 production freighters in 2024, and demand for the 777-8F and Airbus A350F endures as e-commerce reshapes global logistics. FedEx and UPS fleets already exceed 220 dedicated freighters each, and new twin-engine designs burn 15–20% less per tonne-kilometer yet require larger single-sector uplifts owing to extended range. SF Airlines and Cargolux filled order books for 34 Boeing 777-8Fs capable of nonstop Shanghai–Los Angeles lanes that consume up to 100 t of Jet A-1 per trip. IATA’s January 2025 data showed cargo-tonne-kilometers 8.3% higher year on year, with 65% of global freight originating or terminating in Asia-Pacific and North America. Cargo hubs at Anchorage, Memphis, Louisville, and Hong Kong thus lock in durable volume for the jet fuel market.

Mega-Hub Capacity Builds in Middle East Fuel Farm Investments

Dubai International processed 44.9 million travelers in H1 2024 as Emirates’ 260 wide-body fleet uplifted more than 2 million tons of fuel at the airport, ranking it the world’s single largest customer. Qatar Jet Fuel Company added 50 million L of underground storage at Hamad International, enabling simultaneous fueling of 12 Airbus A350-1000s without pressure drops. Saudi Aramco and Saudia invested USD 150 million in a SAF blending terminal targeting 5% blends by 2028, positioning Jeddah as a re-export node to African and South Asian carriers. These expansions safeguard hydrant pressure and inventory, supporting double-digit throughput growth that benefits the jet fuel market.

EU-ETS Phase IV Ticket Surcharges Curtail Leisure Flying

Phase IV of the EU Emissions Trading System raised carbon prices above EUR 80 t and rescinded free allowances for intra-EU flights, elevating per-sector costs by EUR 700–880 on a London–Barcelona A320neo leg.^{[3]European Commission, “EU ETS Phase IV Guidelines,” ec.europa.eu} Airlines such as Ryanair and easyJet added EUR 5–12 surcharges, and easyJet reported a 4.3% fall in leisure bookings under 1,000 km in Q3 2024. IATA expects a 2–3% annual drop in intra-European passenger-kilometers through 2027, dampening jet fuel market volumes on price-sensitive routes.

Fleet Renewal Toward Fuel-Efficient Aircraft Cuts Per-Flight Burn

The Airbus A320neo saves 20% fuel per seat versus the A320ceo, and Boeing 737 MAX cuts 14–20% against the 737NG, decoupling traffic growth from consumption.^{[4]Airbus, “Aircraft Characteristics A320 Family,” airbus.com} United Airlines’ deployment of 50 MAX 9 jets in 2024 lowered domestic fuel burn by 3.2% despite a 5% seat-mile rise. Fleet retirement cycles imply 40% of today’s 28,000 aircraft will be replaced by 2035, hindering the jet fuel market.

Segment Analysis

By Fuel Type: SAF Mandates Accelerate “Others” Growth

Jet A-1 retained 71.8% of 2025 volume owing to global standardization outside North America, while Jet A dominates U.S. domestic uplift because its freeze-point, relaxed to −40 °C, suits shorter leg operations. The jet fuel market size for “Others,” comprising TS-1, Jet B, and SAF, is projected to climb at a 17.4% CAGR, the fastest among fuel classes, propelled by binding SAF targets in the EU, UK, and California. Neste’s 1.3 million t Rotterdam expansion and LanzaJet’s 10 million gal Freedom Pines line typify the capital intensity needed to supply mandated volumes.

Market-share growth within the jet fuel industry remains constrained by feedstock scarcity; used cooking oil, tallow, and municipal waste streams cannot yet scale to the multi-million-tonne thresholds regulators envision. Jet B is relegated to extreme-cold markets and faces accelerated retirement as Canadian bush operators modernize fleets. Russia’s TS-1 continues in domestic service, but sanctions freeze technology upgrades, limiting refinery flexibility. CORSIA’s emissions-credit mechanism, nevertheless, should pull an extra 5–8 million t of SAF into circulation by 2030, ensuring the “Others” aggregate captures disproportionate jet fuel market share gains.

Note: Segment shares of all individual segments available upon report purchase

By Application: Commercial Dominance versus Defense Resilience

Commercial airlines accounted for 78.3% of 2025 consumption and will sustain an 11.1% CAGR as Asia-Pacific low-cost carriers and Middle East connectors upgauge capacity. Record 82.1% load factors suggest airlines must add frequencies or larger aircraft, both scenarios that lift jet fuel market demand. Defense aviation, representing about 15% of demand, grows at a steadier 7–8% clip; the U.S. Air Force alone took 85 million bbl in FY 2024 as F-35A adoption widens.

General aviation’s 7% slice of the jet fuel market benefits from fractional ownership demand growth of 12–15% flight hours in 2024, yet its disproportionate emissions per passenger attract regulatory scrutiny. The FAA reported increasing adoption of diesel flight-training aircraft that burn Jet A, incrementally lifting segment demand 2–3% annually. Military logistics contracts, often indexed to Brent plus differential, provide a consumption floor when commercial volumes soften, underscoring the application mix’s balancing effect on the jet fuel industry.

By Distribution Channel: Hydrant Infrastructure Consolidates Into-Plane Share

Into-plane fueling supplied 88.5% of world volume in 2025 and is forecast to expand at 11.0%, mirroring hub-airport traffic recovery and airlines’ preference for hydrant-based rapid turns. Dubai, Changi, and Heathrow each dispense 5–8 million t annually through dedicated pipelines, eliminating truck contamination risk and supporting large-scale jet fuel market contracts. Emirates’ USD 6 billion annual Dubai contract showcases oligopolistic supply at mega-hubs, where Shell, BP, and ExxonMobil run joint ventures that bundle SAF options.

Bulk supply to fixed-base operators holds 11.5% share, concentrated at secondary fields where traffic cannot justify hydrants. Signature Flight Support and Atlantic Aviation manage more than 200 U.S. sites but charge 5–10 c/gal mark-ups as storage turns slower. Regional jets’ migration from 50-seat ERJ-145s to 76-seat E175s shifted 15–20% of former FBO volumes into hub hydrant networks, reinforcing in-plane dominance within the jet fuel market.

Note: Segment shares of all individual segments available upon report purchase

Geography Analysis

Asia-Pacific commanded 36.9% of 2025 demand and is on track for an 11.7% CAGR through 2031, the fastest worldwide. China’s domestic recovery to 95% of 2019 passenger levels and India’s 14.2% annual traffic surge, propelled by IndiGo’s record 500-aircraft order, anchor regional momentum. ASEAN open-skies lets VietJet and AirAsia add 19 new cross-border sectors in 2024, concentrating fuel uplift where single suppliers control hydrants, boosting regional jet fuel market margins. Japan’s 10% SAF blend goal by 2030 spurs Idemitsu Kosan and ENEOS waste-to-jet investments, positioning the country for possible exports to South Korea and Taiwan.

North America held a roughly 28% share in 2025 and grew at 9.2% through 2031. U.S. consumption of 1.7–1.8 million bpd benefits from trans-Atlantic rebound; United and Delta each logged 18–22% year-on-year international seat-kilometer growth in Q4 2024. Canada’s hub-centric model at Toronto Pearson and Vancouver drives uplift, while Air Canada’s order for 18 Boeing 787-10s lowers per-trip burn 20–25% compared with retiring 767s. Mexico’s 10–12% annual rise ties to nearshoring passenger flows, although limited Pemex refinery investment forces import reliance that tightens jet fuel market supply.

Europe contributed 22% of global demand in 2025, expanding at a slower 8.5% CAGR. EU-ETS surcharges and short-haul rail substitution temper growth, yet density-driven uplift from SAF mandates offsets some volume loss. Heathrow, Charles de Gaulle, and Frankfurt combined moved 12 million t in 2024 through integrated pipelines operated by Shell, BP, TotalEnergies, and ExxonMobil. Ryanair and easyJet carbon add-ons trimmed leisure bookings 4.3% on sub-1,000 km routes, and Russia remains capped at 2019 levels due to sanctions.

The Middle East and Africa share 14% of the demand. Dubai International’s 44.9 million H1 2024 passengers and Emirates’ 2 million t annual uplift signify enduring hub strength. Qatar Jet Fuel’s 50 million L storage extension secures simultaneous A350 fueling, while Saudi Aramco’s 5% SAF target by 2028 aims at re-export opportunities. Ethiopian Airlines’ route launches into Lusaka and Dar es Salaam highlight Sub-Saharan infrastructure gaps where trucked supply adds 10–15% to costs, yet 9.5% CAGR through 2031 keeps the jet fuel market attractive. South America’s 6% share concentrates at São Paulo Guarulhos and Rio Galeão, fed by Petrobras Distribuidora pipelines but constrained by slower fleet renewal.