The price of a barrel of kerosene, a petroleum derivative, has doubled since the Israeli-American attack on Iran on 28 February, an even greater increase than that of crude oil, noted Willie Walsh during a conference organised by the Association of Professional Journalists of Aeronautics and Space (AJPAE).

Airlines had projected dedicating, on average, 26% of their operating expenses to fuel this year, based on a barrel of kerosene at US$88, Walsh recalled, when the price already exceeded US$216 on Thursday, 19 March.

“It doesn’t take a genius to deduce that the additional costs that companies will have to face, if the situation persists, will be much greater than they can absorb,” added Willie Walsh, whose association brings together 360 carriers representing 85% of world traffic.

In this way, the executive also assured that "it is inevitable that ticket prices will increase," a rise already felt in some markets, particularly in the United States.

Willie Walsh considered that the magnitude of the current crisis, which mainly affects Gulf companies forced to cancel a large part of their flights, has "nothing to do with that of Covid."