The thermophysical properties and combustion characteristics of PIB thickened jet fuel are investigated based upon both aims of expanding basic combustion theory (i.e., the coupled gas phase and liquid phase flows and heat transfer involving flame spread over liquid fuel) and potential practical applications (i.e., the oil additive in two-stroke gasoline engine and in-situ burning of leaked oils). The effects of PIB on the thermophysical parameters of jet fuel including density, flashpoint, viscosity and surface tension are experimentally measured. The logarithm of the dynamic viscosity varies linearly with the proportion of PIB, which is in good agreement with predictions. Then, the impact of PIB on fire safety of jet fuel is examined through flame spread and ignition experiments. The temperature evolution, flame spread rate, length and velocity of subsurface flow are quantitated and analyzed. The addition of PIB into jet fuel reduces the flame spread rate, but promotes the ignitability. The viscosity augment plays the principal role in hindering flame spreading over thickened jet fuel.