New York: Jet fuel prices have seen a 90 percent increase since the beginning of the year, but Qatar Airways has not yet passed on the rise in costs to customers, said Qatar Airways Group CEO Hamad Ali Al-Khater.

Speaking to Bloomberg TV live from the Qatar Economic Forum in New York, Al-Khater said jet fuel is about $182 per barrel today, representing an increase of about 90 percent from February 28, 2026, when the Iran-US conflict began. He added that the airline has an integrated group looking at fuel optimisation and efficiencies. "We are not passing on that cost to our customers at this stage of time," he said.

Al-Khater said the airline is focusing on capacity, doubling down on the most profitable routes and suspending less profitable ones until demand recovers. "As a result, we still have a pretty resilient picture just because it is demand-driven and people still want to travel."

On passenger behaviour, Al-Khater said 75 percent of passengers are booking tickets within a 60-day window. "Passengers are booking later, but demand is still pretty strong," he said, adding that the airline will soon expand to more than 170 destinations. Describing the Middle East crisis as the single-largest in the airline's history, Al-Khater said: "Safety being paramount, passengers and our people were my priority," adding that he was proud of what the team has accomplished.

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