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Aviation glossary

Jet fuel

Also: Jet A-1, Jet A, aviation kerosene, avtur

Engines

Petroleum-based fuel used by the turbine engines of civil aircraft; the most common grades are Jet A-1 and, in the United States, Jet A.

What it is

Jet fuel is a petroleum fraction heavier than petrol and lighter than diesel, refined to very strict specifications. Jet A-1, the most widely used grade worldwide, has a maximum freezing point of −47 °C; Jet A, common in the United States, has a limit of −40 °C. Both may contain additives such as antioxidants and static dissipators.

It was chosen for its good energy-to-weight ratio, about 43 megajoules per kilogram, and because it is less volatile than petrol, which makes it safer to handle. Piston aircraft do not use it: they burn avgas, although some diesel engines for light aircraft run on jet fuel.

An Airbus A320 can carry close to 20 tonnes of fuel and a Boeing 777-300ER more than 140 tonnes, which is why fuel is one of an airline's largest costs.

On Vuelopedia

Airbus A320 Boeing 777

Related terms

SAFJet fuel made from renewable or waste sources that can be blended with conventional kerosene and reduces carbon dioxide emissions over its life cycle. Specific fuel consumptionAmount of fuel an engine burns for each unit of thrust or power it produces over a given time; the standard measure of engine efficiency. CombustorSection of a turbine engine where compressed air is mixed with fuel and burnt continuously, producing the hot gases that drive the turbine. Piston engineInternal combustion engine in which pistons, driven by burning a mixture of air and fuel, turn a crankshaft that drives the propeller. MTOWMaximum weight at which an aircraft is certified to begin its take-off, including structure, crew, passengers, cargo and fuel.
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This page was last updated on October 9, 2026

APA

Vuelopedia. (2026, October 9). Jet fuel. Retrieved October 16, 2026, from https://vuelopedia.org/en/glossary/jet-fuel

MLA

“Jet fuel.” Vuelopedia, Fundación Poderia, 9 Oct. 2026, vuelopedia.org/en/glossary/jet-fuel. Accessed 16 Oct. 2026.

Chicago

Vuelopedia. “Jet fuel.” Fundación Poderia. Last modified October 9, 2026. https://vuelopedia.org/en/glossary/jet-fuel.

Harvard

Vuelopedia (2026) Jet fuel. Available at: https://vuelopedia.org/en/glossary/jet-fuel (Accessed: 16 October 2026).

BibTeX

@misc{vuelopedia_en_glossary_jet_fuel,
  author       = {{Vuelopedia}},
  title        = {{Jet fuel}},
  publisher    = {Fundación Poderia},
  year         = {2026},
  date         = {2026-10-09},
  url          = {https://vuelopedia.org/en/glossary/jet-fuel},
  howpublished = {\url{https://vuelopedia.org/en/glossary/jet-fuel}},
  urldate      = {2026-10-16},
  note         = {Accessed 2026-10-16}
}

Wikipedia

{{cite web |url=https://vuelopedia.org/en/glossary/jet-fuel |title=Jet fuel |website=Vuelopedia |publisher=Fundación Poderia |date=2026-10-09 |access-date=2026-10-16 |language=en}}

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