San Francisco hit hardest

San Francisco International Airport was the hardest-hit U.S. airport on Tuesday, with 544 disruptions as fuel strains and air traffic controls collided. (flightaware.com) (faa.gov) FlightAware data cited across multiple reports showed 475 delays and 69 cancellations at SFO on Tuesday. The Federal Aviation Administration’s national status page also flagged a possible San Francisco ground stop or delay program for Thursday, April 23. (flightaware.com) (faa.gov) (ibtimes.com) The disruption hit a hub where United Airlines runs a large share of long-haul flying, especially across the Pacific. CNBC reported this month that United Chief Executive Scott Kirby said the carrier would have to cut back some Asia flights as fuel pressure mounted. (cnbc.com) (united.com) Jet fuel is the kerosene-based fuel airlines burn in turbine engines, and it is usually one of their biggest costs after labor. CBS News reported that analysts put fuel at roughly 25 percent to 30 percent of airline costs, while U.S. jet fuel prices had doubled since the war with Iran began on February 28. (cbsnews.com) (cnbc.com) San Francisco is more exposed than many inland hubs because West Coast fuel supply is less buffered by pipeline links and refining capacity. Kirby told CNBC that fuel markets on the West Coast are “more susceptible to supply weakness” than elsewhere in the country. (cnbc.com) The fuel squeeze started after U.S. and Israeli strikes on Iran on February 28, which pushed oil and refined-product prices sharply higher. CNBC reported U.S. jet fuel rising from $2.50 a gallon on February 27 to $4.88 on April 2, while Airlines for America’s index showed $4.23 a gallon on April 22. (cnbc.com) (airlines.org) Airlines have responded by cutting routes, adding fees, and warning of higher fares. CBS News reported Delta trimming four summer routes, and Air Canada said it was suspending Toronto and Montreal service to New York’s John F. Kennedy International Airport from June 1 through October 25 because of fuel costs. (cbsnews.com) Europe’s airlines are under even heavier pressure. The Associated Press reported Thursday that Lufthansa plans to cut 20,000 short-haul flights through October as the war squeezes fuel prices and supply. (apnews.com) For travelers, the pattern is not one national shutdown but airport-by-airport stress, with the worst delays showing up where fuel logistics, weather, and airline schedules overlap. SFO’s Tuesday numbers showed how quickly one hub can become the system’s main choke point. (faa.gov) (flightaware.com)