Jet fuel price, Qantas reshape & Singapore demand

FUEL PRICE TAKE-OFF

While the Australian Government says six tanker ships of jet fuel have started arriving in Australia (with the last on April 8). They are coming from China “and other suppliers”.

IATA’s Jet Fuel Price Monitor shows that the global average jet fuel price last week rose 12.6 per cent compared to the week before to $287 ($US197) per barrel. There are about 139 litres in a barrel.

+ The cost of jet fuel is currently about $2.30 per litre.

+ An Airbus A380 holds about 320,000L of jet fuel to take it 15,700km.

+ That would be more than $736,000 to fill up.

QANTAS RETHINK

Qantas is reshaping its flight schedule between Australia and Europe as travellers have to fly around the Middle East.

And Perth loses its Paris flight.

For, between mid-April and late July, Qantas is taking its Paris flights away from Perth to give them to Sydney, flying via Singapore. It adds an extra two services a week.

In compensation for WA, flights between Perth and Rome will fly daily and there are 10 flights a week between Perth-Singapore.

The “Perth to London direct” flight will continue to fly via Singapore (as it needs to refuel to make the distance), though the London to Perth flight will remain a non-stop service, due to more favourable flight paths and prevailing jet streams.

Perth to Singapore flights will be timed to connect with the Singapore to Paris flights.

Qantas is also taking some of its 787-9 Dreamliners from US flights and redeploying A330s from domestic routes.

A Qantas spokesperson says: “The group continues to monitor the situation in the Middle East and its impact on fuel security, the price of fuel, and demand for travel, and will make further adjustments as required.”

SINGAPORE DEMAND

Singapore Airlines has seen bookings between Australia and Europe via Singapore surge. They jumped nearly 40 per cent in the first half of March.

In response, the airline has increased capacity to eight Australian destinations — with the key move being daily flights to the new Western Sydney Airport from November 2026 and bringing back the Airbus A380 to Melbourne from March 29, replacing the Boeing 777-300ER.

Singapore Airlines has four daily flights between Perth and Singapore, with 467,950 seats a year in each direction of travel.