In the Air Without Power: What Actually Happens If an Airplane Runs Out of Fuel?

The thought of an airplane running out of fuel thousands of feet in the air is a common fear among nervous flyers. However, complete fuel exhaustion on a commercial flight is an exceptionally rare occurrence in modern aviation. International governing bodies such as the International Civil Aviation Organization, the Federal Aviation Administration, and the European Union Aviation Safety Agency enforce strict fuel planning regulations on all commercial airlines.