Air fares have risen about 22% year-over-year, largely due to the surge in jet fuel prices brought on by the war in Iran and the closure of the Strait of Hormuz.
But considering the very low-cost environment that prevailed prior to 2026, tickets are still relatively inexpensive, Airlines For America CEO Chris Sununu said this week.
“Airline costs are actually quite low,” Sununu told CBS’ The Takeout. “They’ve risen 22 percent in the last year because of the Iran war, but from all-time lows. So no, overall, flying in the United States is still incredibly affordable.”
“If you want that premium seat, that first class seat, obviously you pay a little more for that,” he continued. “That economy seat is still very affordable.”
Airline ticket prices have risen since February, when the conflict began. The collapse of ultra-low-cost Spirit Airlines in May and major carriers’ shift toward premiumization could also be playing a role.
When pressed by host Major Garrett on reports that U.S. airlines are letting seats go empty instead of lowering prices to effectively discipline the market, Sununu said that was “100 percent” false.
“If a flight is not making money, believe me, it’s been pulled off because jet fuel is so high,” he said. “Instead of three flights a day from Wichita to Green Bay, there’s two flights. So, no, when you get on a flight now, it’s going to be more often than not very very crowded.”
ATC Modernization
Asked about the FAA’s sweeping air traffic control modernization effort, Sununu was positive and credited Department of Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy and FAA Administrator Bryan Bedford with launching the first serious system-wide upgrade in decades.
“For forty years they’ve done nothing,” he said. “And they’ve done more in the last twelve months than they have in the previous forty years. And that is coming as a cynic of Washington, who has seen the political landscape littered with failed infrastructure projects.”
The main benefit for customers, Sununu added, will be efficiency.
“It’s always going to be safe,” he said. “But over the past few years they’ve had to slow the system down, because it is so antiquated, to ensure the safety. But now we get that efficiency back.”
