Money calculators
Flight fuel cost calculator
Estimate jet fuel use, total flight fuel cost, and fuel cost per passenger across different routes and aircraft types. Built for rough comparison and learning, not airline operational planning.
Runs in your browser with no account and no stored data
How it works
Choose a route preset or enter a distance manually and pick km or miles. Select an aircraft type (short, medium or long-haul) or enter a custom fuel burn and seat count. Set the load factor, fuel price and currency, then add an optional CO₂ factor and surcharge percentage if you want a broader comparison. The calculator updates instantly, but the result should be treated as a rough estimate rather than an airline-grade operating figure.
Total distance (km) = entered distance × 2 if return. Total fuel (L) = (distance / 100) × fuel burn (L/100 km). Occupied seats = seats × load factor / 100. Price per litre = price entered (or price per tonne / 1 250 if priced per tonne). Total cost = total fuel × price per litre. Cost per pax = total cost / occupied seats. Surcharge per pax = cost per pax × surcharge %. CO₂ = total fuel × CO₂ factor / occupied seats.
ARN→LHR one-way, 1,450 km, short-haul narrow-body (260 L/100 km, 180 seats), 85% load (153 passengers), fuel at 8 kr/L: total fuel = (1,450/100) × 260 = 3,770 L. Total fuel cost = 3,770 × 8 = 30,160 kr. Fuel cost per passenger = 30,160 / 153 ≈ 197 kr. That is only the fuel portion, not the full ticket or operating cost.
Useful for understanding how route length and aircraft choice affect fuel spend, comparing rough aviation fuel cost across scenarios, estimating a per-passenger fuel burden, or learning why ticket prices do not move one-for-one with fuel. Flight fuel cost depends on more than distance: aircraft type, fuel burn, payload, route, weather, taxi time, climb, cruise, descent, and fuel price all matter. This calculator includes the values you enter for distance, fuel burn, seats, load factor, fuel price, surcharge, and CO₂ factor, but it does not include crew, maintenance, airport charges, navigation fees, aircraft ownership, turnaround time, or live airline operating data.
What do you want to do next?
Compare fuel and running costs for petrol and electric cars with our petrol vs EV calculator, or work out electricity cost per kWh.
Want to compare the result with road fuel cost, convert units, or sense-check it in another currency? Open the fuel cost calculator, the unit converter, the currency converter or compare petrol vs electric
FAQ
How much does aviation fuel cost per litre?+
There is no single fixed answer. Aviation fuel prices vary by airport, region, contract terms, timing, taxes, and how the fuel is bought. Use a current price per litre or price per tonne from the source you trust, then treat the calculator result as an estimate based on that input.
Why does flight fuel cost vary so much?+
Distance is only one part of the picture. Aircraft type, fuel burn, payload, route, winds, weather, taxi time, climb, cruise, descent, and fuel price can all change the total fuel used and the final cost estimate.
Does this calculate the full cost of a flight?+
No. It estimates the fuel portion only from the values you enter. It does not include crew, maintenance, airport charges, navigation fees, aircraft ownership, insurance, catering, handling, or airline overhead.
Is jet fuel the same as petrol?+
No. Commercial aircraft usually use jet fuel such as Jet A or Jet A-1, which is different from road petrol. This matters because price, energy content, handling, and operating assumptions are different from car fuel.
Can I use this for private aircraft?+
Yes, as a rough estimate if you enter your own fuel burn, seats, distance, and fuel price. For private aircraft, the preset airline-style averages may be less useful, so a custom figure is usually better.
Why is the result only an estimate?+
The calculator simplifies a complex real-world operation into a small set of inputs. Real flights can differ because of routing, holding, weather, load, traffic management, reserves, and live fuel pricing. It is best for rough planning, comparison, and learning, not airline operational planning.
What does load factor mean?+
Load factor is the percentage of seats filled with paying passengers. An 85% load factor on a 180-seat aircraft means 153 passengers. A higher load factor spreads the fuel cost over more passengers, lowering the per-passenger figure.
How is CO₂ calculated?+
The calculator multiplies total fuel burned in litres by your CO₂ factor. The default 2.52 kg CO₂ per litre is a common reference value for jet fuel. The result is then divided by occupied seats to show an estimated per-passenger figure.
What is the fuel surcharge percentage for?+
It lets you model how much of the estimated fuel cost per passenger might appear as a visible surcharge. It does not mean airlines pass through fuel cost in a simple one-to-one way, but it can help with rough comparisons.
How accurate are the fuel burn figures?+
The presets use broad industry-average figures for simple comparison. Real consumption varies with altitude, payload, winds, routing, and the exact aircraft and engine setup. Enter a custom figure if you have more specific data.