Delta cut its 2026 forecast on fuel alone and guided fourth-quarter fuel to $4.25 a gallon, the figure that will frame United, American and Southwest results. A missile strike on Riyadh’s airport killed at least 12 people on Saturday, the third attack that week, as carriers pull back.
Riyadh's King Khalid airport restarts international flights as the Houthis call it a military target. Western Sydney International opens, Australia's first major new airport in more than five decades. JetBlue's creditors hire restructuring advisers as its bonds slump.
Ryanair is 80 per cent hedged at $67 a barrel to March 2027 but only 15 per cent covered after that, and O’Leary says fares could rise 20 per cent. American, United and Delta paid similar prices for fuel, yet only American lost money. The FAA certified the MAX 10 on Tuesday.
Ryanair has hedged 80 per cent of this year's fuel but only 15 per cent of next year's, and its rivals' cover also thins from April 2027. With hedges at $750–$870 a tonne and the market near $1,650, Europe faces the fuel bill US airlines already pay.
American, United and Delta paid similar prices for fuel, yet only American lost money in the third quarter. Weak 2025 earnings, faster capacity growth and $28.1bn of net debt explain a gap that fuel alone does not.
