Bharat Petroleum Corp. Ltd and Akasa Air inked a memorandum of understanding (MoU) on Wednesday to adopt 'susatainable aviation fuel' (SAF), according to a press release from the company.
The MoU is intended to ramp up the availability and offtake of SAF at select airports in India. Both the firms are also set to explore the long-term supply resdiness of SAF. They will also look into implementing a phased increase of SAF blending.
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The Centre had amended the ATF Control Order (2001) in April. The amendment allowed for the adoption of SAF-blended aviation turbine fuel (ATF). The government had also announced indicative blending targets of SAF in ATF for international flights. This included 1% in 2027, 2% in 2028, and 5% in 2030. This aligns with the goal set by International Civil Aviation Organization, the UN civil aviation safety watchdog.
The Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas amended the Aviation Turbine Fuel (Regulation of Marketing) Order, 2001 through a notification on April 17, 2026, to allow the blending of ethanol in jet fuel. Following the update, ATF is defined as "mix of hydrocarbons that can also include synthesised components, as per Indian standards."
The move was likely intended to increase the usage of Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF), in an effort to help bring down India's dependence on imported crude oil.
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Before the amendment was put in place, airlines typically used pure jet fuel which has no hydrocarbons mixed into it. Airlines argued that SAF was a costlier alternative to pure ATF, with Rohit Kumar of the Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) Association India seeking targeted incentives for airlines as the country prepares to introduce ethanol-blended jet fuel.
According to him, the gradual adoption will allow airlines and fuel producers to scale up efficiently while building a robust domestic SAF ecosystem.
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