United Continental Airlines CEO Scott Kirby recently revealed that the company's strategic planning is based on a key forecast: international crude oil prices will soar to a high of $175 per barrel and are unlikely to fall back to the $100 level until the end of 2027.

This forward-looking prediction highlights the aviation industry's deep concerns over sustained high energy costs. Kirby pointed out that, based on this oil price trend forecast, United Airlines is accelerating fleet modernization and optimizing fuel efficiency as countermeasures. As an energy-intensive industry, fuel costs typically account for 20%-30% of total operating expenses, and prolonged high oil prices may trigger a new round of strategic adjustments within the sector. It is noteworthy that current international oil prices fluctuate around $85 per barrel. If, as United Airlines predicts, prices break through $175, it would set a historic peak since the 2008 financial crisis. This aggressive forecast not only reflects airlines' vigilance toward geopolitical risks and supply-demand imbalances, but also suggests that the aviation industry may face even more severe cost challenges over the next four years.