The prices at the petrol pumps are currently subjectively perceived to be rising inexorably. Not only drivers are affected, but also aviation. Fuel hedging transactions can cushion the sharp rise in prices for some time. Austrian Airlines does not operate any such deals, but is affiliated with the pool of the parent company Lufthansa.

Fuel hedging is a transaction in which airlines agree on fixed purchase prices with oil companies. Depending on the agreement, kerosene is purchased for three months, six months or even a whole year at a fixed price agreed in advance. However, if the market price falls, the airline pays more. If the costs rise, the airline benefits.

Therefore, many carriers mix fuel requirements. A portion is hedged and the remainder is purchased at the current pump price. The latter can also be necessary at airports where you do not have a contractual partner and therefore have to pay with the fuel card. This can be the case with charter flights to destinations that are not otherwise in the route network.

Austrian Airlines has not operated its own fuel hedging for a long time. However, that does not mean that the fuel purchase has not been secured, because the Lufthansa Group makes such deals centrally for all group airlines. The pooled demand for kerosene improves the negotiating position vis-à-vis the mineral oil companies, because it is difficult to do without this "buying community".

An AUA spokeswoman told Aviation.Direct on this subject: “The purchase of kerosene/jet fuel is managed centrally by the Lufthansa Group. As an individual airline, we are not involved in hedging transactions. Whether ticket prices will rise in the future depends not only on supply and demand, but also on how kerosene prices will develop. However, the situation is still much too volatile and dynamic to give an estimate here".