US jet fuel demand surges but recovery is elusive

Picking up: A business jet is refuelled using Jet A fuel at the Henderson Executive Airport in Las Vegas. US consumption of the fuel on a four-week average basis is at the highest since last March, but still 16% lower than the same time two years ago. ― Reuters

HOUSTON: Jet fuel demand is finally taking off as American travellers return to the skies, but concerns over the Delta variant of Covid-19 may further delay a full recovery.

United States consumption of the fuel on a four-week average basis surged to 1.57 million barrels a day, the highest since the pandemic shut the economy down last March, according to a government report. That’s still 16% lower than the same time two years ago.