Airlines are preparing for the worst as Iran war enters its fourth week. But demand is still strong, and travelers are willing to pay higher fares

United Airlines CEO Scott Kirby is preparing for the worst: a future where oil prices reach as high as $175 per barrel and stay above $100 until the end of 2027. 

With the U.S.-Israel war on Iran now in its fourth week, the airline industry is staring down its biggest disruption since the pandemic as the global oil market suffers a supply shock.

This is the first major crisis the industry is facing since widely ending the practice of fuel hedging in 2024 and 2025, an insurance...