SpiceJet Operates India’s First Bio-fuel Flight, Lands Aircraft Successfully at Delhi’s IGI Airport
According to sources, a concoction of bio-fuel powered one of the turbine engines of a SpiceJet's Q400 turboprop flight. There were government officials, who monitored the parameters set up for such a test flight.
New Delhi, August 27: India's first ever biofuel flight operated by budget carrier SpiceJet, landed at Terminal 2 of the Indira Gandhi International Airport (IGI) on Monday. A total of 75% aviation turbine fuel and 25% biofuel used in this aircraft. The SpiceJet flight took off from Dehradun and landed in the national capital and was received on its arrival in Delhi by Union ministers Dharmendra Pradhan, Nitin Gadkari, Suresh Prabhu and other ministers.
According to sources, a concoction of bio-fuel powered one of the turbine engines of a SpiceJet's Q400 turboprop flight. There were government officials, who monitored the parameters set up for such a test flight.
Union Petroleum Minister Dharmendra Pradhan on Monday said that it is a big achievement in aviation and clean energy sector. "On 10th August, PM Modi announced the new biofuel policy and today we have successfully implemented it in the aviation sector. GST has been decreased on Biodiesel and ethanol", Pradhan added.
“My congratulations to the Bio Fuel Working Group of @PetroleumMin OMCs, IIT Kanpur, CSIR, Indian Institute of Petroleum, Dehradun, Chhattisgarh Biofuel Development Authority CBDA, Department of Science & Technology (DST), DGCA & SpiceJet for their commendable work”, he added.
At present, bio-fuel powered flights are operated in Canada. The development assumes significance as high air turbine fuel (ATF) prices have dented India's domestic airline sector with all the major players reporting losses for the first quarter of 2018-19. According to a report by IANS, at present, the fuel prices constitute 45-50 per cent of the overall operations cost of domestic airlines.
India's ATF prices are amongst the highest in the world due to the addition of state levies and taxes. The fuel is not under the GST ambit unlike the bunker fuel used in the shipping industry.
(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Aug 27, 2018 02:26 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).