Why is jet fuel so expensive

There are many differences, as other answers mentioned, but not as big as the experienced prices show. But by only focusing on the product it's easy to miss cost involved in distribution and sales. An FBO has at least the same, usually much higher, fixed cost than an average gas station which need to be spread over a much lower number of customers.

The fact that a C needs more gas like 50 vs. In addition I don't know of many gas stations providing a lounge, free coffee and sometimes sandwiches , internet access, flight planing tools and so on, all the way to courtesy cars. All of this leads to a higher price per gallon than what's caused by the raw gas alone. The effect can be easily seen where auto gas is offered for ultralights, or diesel for capable engines. They carry a visible mark up compared to the gas station next door.

Then of course there's the same effect that lack of competition has on auto gas. Fields with a single FBO are often priced much like the sole gas station on a lengthy stretch of highway Sign up to join this community. The best answers are voted up and rise to the top. Stack Overflow for Teams — Collaborate and share knowledge with a private group. Create a free Team What is Teams? Learn more. Ask Question. Asked 7 years, 1 month ago. Active 2 years, 7 months ago.

Viewed 14k times. I get the fact that it's LL, instead of 87, 91, etc. What's the reason for the huge increase in price between car and aviation gas? Improve this question. Rodrigo de Azevedo 1, 1 1 gold badge 9 9 silver badges 26 26 bronze badges. Keegan Keegan 6, 4 4 gold badges 42 42 silver badges 76 76 bronze badges. For making a comparison it helps to have the units right.

Skip Navigation. Key Points. Jet fuel prices this week rose to nearly month highs, boosted by increased oil costs. Airline jet fuel consumption has dropped along with travel demand in the Covid pandemic, a trend that will likely keep a lid on prices. Some carriers have noted they expect higher fuel costs in the first quarter. To compare the octane ratings we first need to understand what an octane rating means. Measuring octane ratings gets pretty technical but the basic takeaway is that the higher an octane rating, the more energy it takes for the fuel to combust.

Higher performance engines require higher octane fuel because they create more compression and more energy, therefore they require fuel that can withstand the increased energy and not experience pre-ignition or detonation. Pre-ignition can happen on its own or as a result of detonation, and occurs when the fuel mixture ignites prior to the spark plug firing.

It can be caused by glowing carbon deposits within a cylinder, or other hot spots caused by detonation. Regardless of the cause, pre-ignition will cause a severe power loss as the piston is working against itself, and the cylinder temperature can rise dramatically as the burned mixture is compressed. Since no power is extracted from the burn, all of the heat energy is absorbed by the cylinder components and can quickly cause a lot of damage. Detonation is distinguished from pre-ignition as it does not occur before the spark plug ignites.

In normal circumstances the fuel is supposed to burn evenly throughout the power stroke of the cylinder to providing pressure. If the entire mixture ignites all at once i. Detonation is usually caused by using fuel with too low of an octane rating because it requires less energy to combust and therefore combusts too rapidly.

Aircraft engines are designed to be higher performance for their size and weight, increasing carrying capacity and overall engine performance. The second major difference of avgas is that it contains lead the LL stands for octane fuel with low lead. Specifically, avgas uses a Tetraethyl Lead additive which is very effective in increasing the octane level of the fuel, thereby increasing the compression and temperature it can undergo before igniting so that it burns evenly throughout the combustion process and does not pre-ignite or detonate.

Aircraft engines are expected to be reliable, high performance relative to their weight, and be able to perform in extremely diverse conditions. All of these requirements lend themselves towards the use of high octane fuel in high performance engines, which is why the FAA is still permitting the use of small amounts of lead in aviation fuel. The FAA has created several different initiatives to investigate an unleaded replacement for aviation gasoline but has yet to find a sustainable solution.

As mentioned previously, diesel conversions have been pursued but not yet found real traction in the US marketplace due to the expense. Tens of thousands of airplanes have been issued an STC supplemental type certificate for automotive fuel conversion engines that are able to use the fuel you would put in your car.

These engines are specifically made to be able to handle automotive fuel and their popularity seems to be mixed in the flying community. Additionally, critics argue that the ethanol found in automotive gas both limits the life of the fuel month shelf life vs.

Lastly, if and when you go to sell the airplane, some of your potential buyers might not want that kind of engine thereby limiting your buyer pool.

Jet A fuel consistently costs less than LL due to its simpler refining process, ease of transportation via pipelines because it does not contain lead , and economies of scale from the volume of demand.

For now aviation remains an expensive hobby but it starts to make more sense when you dig into the reasons behind it. I've been flying since I was 14 years old and have loved every minute of pursuing aviation ever since. Particular highlights include my seaplane rating in Talkeetna Alaska in a Super Cub on floats, getting my instrument rating, taking mountain flying courses in the Idaho backcountry, and purchasing my first airplane a Cessna P in Aviation is my biggest passion and Airplane Academy is my outlet to continually research aviation tips, tricks, and FAQs and present them in a helpful way both on this website as well as our YouTube channel.

You can read more about my story here.