IATA has used data from World Air Transport Statistics (WATS) to reveal the top three expenses for airlines.

WATS is a reliable and comprehensive database of aviation statistics, updated annually with data from over 250 international airlines. Its database covers a wide range of metrics related to industry demand, supply, and performance, as well as detailed airline data, rankings, and aircraft statistics.

According to WATS's latest insights for 2022, the three biggest costs for airlines globally are aircraft fuel and oil, depreciation and amortisation, and flight salaries and expenses.

Aircraft fuel and oil account for a substantial 28.7% of total airline costs, highlighting the significant impact of fuel prices on operational expenses.

Meanwhile, depreciation and amortisation make up 9.1%, followed closely by flight crew salaries and expenses at 8.6%.

Interestingly, the cost breakdown of airlines varies significantly by region.

For instance, in Latin America and the Caribbean, aircraft fuel forms 36.3% of total airline costs, compared with 25.5% in North America.

WATS’s 2023 data will be released on June 30.