ATA LAMENTS RISING FUEL PRICES

ATA LAMENTS RISING FUEL PRICES    The Air Transport Association, the Washington, D.C.-based interest group representing major U.S. air carriers, has issued a forecast predicting that airline fuel costs will rise more than 40 percent this year over last year.
''The ATA estimates that the U.S. airline industry will spend $14.6 billion on jet fuel this year compared to $10.2 billion in 1999.
   “This rise of $4.4 billion in fuel costs stands in dramatic contrast to the U.S. airline industry’s 1999 net profit of $4.85 billion,” the ATA said.
   In the first quarter, the average price paid by U.S. airlines for jet fuel jumped 75 percent to 77 cents per gallon from 44 cents a gallon in the same period last year.
   “Our costs are going up dramatically and airlines have no choice but to pass these increased costs, as much as possible, on to the consumer,” said David Swierenga, the ATA’s chief economist.