US refineries have incrementally increased the share of crude processed into jet fuel and distillates since early 2023, aligning with documented recovery in international air passenger volumes tracked in Bureau of Transportation Statistics monthly reports. This operational shift occurs against a backdrop of post-pandemic demand patterns and sustained export incentives, where higher crack spreads for kerosene-type jet fuel have outpaced gasoline margins in several PADD regions per Energy Information Administration data. While the MarketWatch account emphasizes near-term summer price risks for drivers, it understates the role of global crude allocation decisions influenced by OPEC+ production quotas and the strategic petroleum reserve releases of 2022, which altered inventory baselines. Multiple factors converge here: refiners respond to price signals rather than coordinated policy, yet this creates asymmetric exposure for domestic gasoline markets if unplanned outages coincide with peak driving season. Primary records from the EIA Petroleum Supply Monthly show jet fuel yields rising above 10 percent of total output in key Gulf Coast facilities during comparable periods, a pattern that predates current headlines. Perspectives differ on whether this constitutes a structural change or cyclical optimization, with industry submissions to the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission highlighting maintenance schedules as an additional constraint on flexibility.