Expensive kerosene penalizes airlines and passengers

American motorists are feeling the pain of rising gasoline prices. Airlines and their customers have had it worse.

According to S&P Global Commodity Insights, the price of jet fuel, a kerosene-based product similar to diesel fuel, has roughly doubled in the US since last April, while gasoline is up about 45%. A drop in Russian diesel exports in recent weeks has prompted western refiners to shift resources from jet to diesel production, leading to kerosene shortages, analysts at S&P Global Commodity Insights said.