In a fresh push to reduce fuel consumption in the country amid the US-imposed blockade on the Strait of Hormuz, the Centre has now permitted the use of ethanol and other man-made hydrocarbons in aviation turbine fuel (ATF).
Aimed at boosting the use of sustainable biofuels across the country and reducing India's dependence on imported crude, this move comes after the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas (MoPNG) issued a notification on April 17, 2026, amending the existing ATF marketing regulations.
The MoPNG gazette widened the definition of ATF, in a bid to align the updated fuel regulation norms with that of alternative and blended aviation fuels worldwide.
As per the new rules, ATF is now defined as a mixture of hydrocarbons conforming to IS 1571 specifications, or blends with synthetic hydrocarbons under IS 17081 standards, enabling the inclusion of newer fuel variants.
However, no mandatory blending targets have been set so far, as per a PTI report.
ATF, which forms an important part of the overall expense behind flying an aircraft, is typically produced by refining crude oil.
However, in countries like Japan and the UK, rules around the production of sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) advise the use of renewable feedstocks—such as waste oils and fats, sugar and cereal, municipal solid waste, wood and agricultural residues—or CO2, in ATF to cut emissions.
India's target for now is to blend 1 per cent SAF with ATF for international flights by 2027, 2 per cent by 2028, and 5 per cent by 2030, in line with the guidelines in the Carbon Offsetting and Reduction Scheme for International Aviation (CORSIA).
No such target has been set for domestic flights.
CORSIA is a global scheme led by the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) to reduce CO2 emissions from flights that exceed 2020 levels. While it is only voluntary in 2021-26, it will became mandatory from 2027-35.