Oil costs 'could cause airfares to fall'

Rising oil costs could benefit air passengers in the form of lower fares, an aviation industry expert has claimed.

James Fremantle, industry affairs manager at the Air Transport Users Council, explained that the rising cost of oil means that carriers will be eager to make the most of their fuel stocks by filling their planes as much as possible.

They could therefore cut their fares to ensure that they are filling as many seats and operating as efficiently as possible.

Rising oil prices are one of many aspects of an unstable global economy at the present time and Mr Fremantle said that the coming years could prove difficult for air carriers.

"The downturn of the economy has hit all airlines and they are in for a few tough years," he said.

"The price of oil also makes a big difference, the number one difference actually. There's a possibility that airfares might come down because airlines will have to fill their planes."