Aviation Fuel Prices Rise Across All Categories in August 2026 as Middle East Tensions Persist
Why It MattersPersistent Middle East supply disruptions are keeping upward pressure on fuel costs across all aircraft categories, a structural risk operators and FBOs must continue to plan around.
Aviation fuel prices climbed across all major categories in August 2026, with Middle East instability and Brent crude volatility cited as drivers, according to fuel data reported by more than 3,200 fixed-base operators. Brent crude opened the month at $88.90 per barrel, peaked at $96.92 on August 21, then eased back toward $88 by month's end, per U.S. Energy Information Administration spot prices.
Jet A's national average rose 26 cents from July to $7.78 per gallon, the fifth consecutive month above $7.00 in 2026, with increases recorded in all nine FAA regions and a regional spot comparison between July 31 and August 31 showing an average 20-cent gain and a standard deviation of 0.04. The 100LL avgas average climbed six cents to $7.51, its fourth straight month above $7.00, rising in every FAA region except the Southwest, where it fell eight cents; the Alaskan region posted the sharpest rise, up 80 cents since May, while the Central region was up 45 cents over the same span. SAF recorded the largest single-month jump, with the national average reaching $10.00, up 43 cents from July's $9.57.
Commercial traffic through the Strait of Hormuz remains halted amid political and economic stalemates. Iranian-Omani negotiations have progressed toward a temporary shipping route, with inbound traffic proposed through Iranian waters and outbound through both Iranian and Omani territory, but the United States has rejected this framework and is insisting on a return to unrestricted pre-war passage; the U.S. military presence in the region has not changed. The Houthi blockade of Saudi Red Sea shipping also intensified in August — Kpler data showed Saudi Arabia routing roughly 64% of its Hormuz-bound oil across the Red Sea as of June, while Saudi exports through Bab al-Mandeb were down more than 90% by August.
Wholesale jet prices eased by the end of August, potentially signaling relief in early September. The North American SAF Conference & Expo, held in Tacoma, Washington at the end of August, highlighted the Cascadia Sustainable Aviation Institute, a facility under construction at Paine Field (KPAE) aimed at consolidating the full ASTM D4054 fuel certification process.
