Fuel to comprise 30% of airline operating cost in 2014: IATA

A Virgin Blue passenger airplane flies by a fuel storage tank to land at Sydney Airport in this file photo. Airlines are forecast to spend US$212bil (RM681.9bil) on jet fuel this year - 30% of their total operating cost - Reuters Photo.

DOHA: The International Air Transport Association (IATA) expects airlines to spend US$212bil (RM681.9bil) on jet fuel this year, the equivalent of 30% of their total operating cost.

IATA said that jet fuel prices were stable, but there has never before been a three-year period where energy costs continued to remain high.