I'd heard that with the number of people who fly on airliners, it doesn't consume as much fuel as it would if all those people were to drive. But I don't see how. I knew those big jets could drink up some fuel, but I didn't think their fuel burn rate was this friggin' high!!!

Many burn over more than 1,000 gallons an hour. And airplanes require Jet-A fuel, making it more expensive than just regular gasoline. (Sometimes it can be as much as $7.00 a gallon).

How Much Fuel Do Different Aircraft Burn? — Civil Aviation Forum | Airliners.net