Rubbish Check
Fox Business · September 13, 2026
source“Avelo CEO warns airfares may rise as fuel prices hit ‘uncomfortably high’ levels”
R2/ 10
Lightly altered
Rubbish Rating — 1 = base fact, 10 = pure rubbish
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In short
Rubbish Talk rates Fox Business's headline that Avelo's CEO "warns airfares may rise" a 2/10 because the quote, the IATA fuel figure, and the hedged "may rise" framing all check out against the primary data and Levy's own words.
The Verdict
Lightly altered, close to base fact. The headline uses "may," not "will," matching Levy's actual hedge that Avelo will "have to be able to pass these costs onto our customers" without a firm pricing commitment; the only iteration away from pure fact is compressing a nuanced interview (resilient summer demand, no fare hike yet) into a warning-forward headline.
What actually happened
Avelo Airlines CEO Andrew Levy told Fox Business that jet fuel costs, driven by disruption tied to the Iran conflict, have climbed back to levels he called "uncomfortably high." He said the ultra-low-cost carrier will eventually have to pass some of that cost to customers, while noting demand has so far stayed strong. Ryanair's CEO made a similar warning the same week.
Key facts
- The global average jet fuel price rose 9% from the previous week to $171.01 per barrel last week, according to the International Air Transport Association, a figure confirmed directly on IATA's Jet Fuel Price Monitor.
- Levy said fuel costs had previously moderated after an earlier spike tied to the same conflict before rising again: "We've been there before, earlier in the period of the year when this conflict began, and then things moderated… Now we're back up to levels that are, you know, I'll just call them uncomfortably high."
- Levy said Avelo will ultimately have to pass at least some of those higher costs on to customers: "At the end of the day, we have to be able to pass these costs onto our customers."
- Despite the cost pressure, Levy said demand at Avelo has remained resilient: "We had a very, very strong summer even with high fuel prices." No fare increase has actually been announced.
- Ryanair CEO Michael O'Leary separately said airfares could rise "significantly" if oil prices remain elevated, corroborated by CNBC and RTE coverage of the same AGM remarks, where O'Leary spoke of a "significant uplift" if oil stays high into 2027.
What to watch for
Watch whether IATA's weekly jet fuel index keeps climbing or reverts, as it did after the earlier spike this year; a reversal would undercut the "may rise" framing quickly. Also watch Avelo's actual Q4 pricing and Ryanair's December/March quarter guidance, since both CEOs are speaking in hypotheticals, not confirmed fare hikes.
About this scoreThe R-Score is Rubbish Talk's editorial opinion on how far a headline's framing sits from what the underlying facts support. It is a judgement about presentation and emphasis, not an allegation that any outlet has acted dishonestly. Every figure we rely on is linked under Receipts so you can check it yourself.
