Akasa Air operated its first commercial flight using 1% Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) blended with conventional jet fuel on 8 September 2026. The flight left Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport in Mumbai at 1.05 pm and landed at Manohar International Airport in Goa at 2.30 pm, with the blended fuel supplied by Bharat Petroleum Corporation Ltd (BPCL). The flight is an early step towards India’s goal of 5% SAF blending by 2030 to cut emissions from aviation.
What Exactly Happened on the Mumbai to Goa Flight?
The demonstration flight used Aviation Turbine Fuel (ATF), which is the standard fuel that powers jet engines, mixed with 1% SAF. ATF is made from crude oil, while SAF is made from renewable or waste materials. The aircraft could use this blended fuel directly without any change to its engines, as SAF is a drop in fuel that mixes safely with normal jet fuel.
The flight was the first result of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed by Akasa Air and BPCL on 15 July 2026. An MoU is a written agreement in which two organisations state how they plan to work together. Under this MoU, the two companies agreed to create a system for the supply and purchase of SAF blended ATF at selected airports across India. They also agreed to share early estimates of future demand so that BPCL can plan production, and to increase the blending level in stages as supply grows.
Both companies have said the flight will give them practical learning for future operations. Akasa Air has stated that sustainability guides its long term growth through new aircraft, better technology and careful use of fuel on ground and in air. BPCL has stated that the shift from normal fuel to sustainable options is both an environmental need and a strategic need for India as part of its wider energy transition.
What Is Sustainable Aviation Fuel?
Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) is a cleaner alternative to normal jet fuel. It is produced from renewable or waste materials instead of crude oil. Common raw materials, called feedstocks, include used cooking oil, agricultural residue, municipal solid waste, forestry waste, non food crops and sugarcane molasses. When the full life of the fuel is measured, from growing or collecting the raw material to burning it in an engine, SAF can cut carbon dioxide emissions by up to 80% compared to normal jet fuel.
SAF is not a separate fuel that needs new engines. It is blended with normal ATF in small shares such as 1%, 2% or 5% and then used in existing aircraft. In India, normal ATF must meet the quality standard IS 1571 set by the Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS). BIS is the national body that fixes quality standards for products in India. The government has now widened the definition of ATF to include SAF that is co processed with ATF in refineries as per IS 1571, and SAF that meets the standard IS 17081 and is then blended with ATF.
How Is SAF Produced?
Most SAF in the world today is made through a method called Hydroprocessed Esters and Fatty Acids (HEFA). In simple terms, waste oils and fats are treated with hydrogen under high pressure to form a clean liquid that works like jet fuel. This method accounts for nearly 95% of global SAF output because it uses proven refinery technology.
Indian oil companies are working on three main routes. The first is co processing, where non edible oils are processed together with crude oil inside existing refineries. This route allows quick scale up without building fully new plants. The second is a new dedicated plant that turns oils into jet fuel. The third is the Alcohol to Jet route, where alcohol made from sugarcane or other biomass is converted into jet fuel. Indian Oil Corporation’s Panipat Refinery has already been certified as India’s first SAF producer, and COTECNA Inspection India Pvt Ltd has been approved as the country’s first SAF certification body to check that the fuel meets sustainability rules.
The Partnership Behind the Flight
The flight brought together a young private airline and a large public sector refiner. Their roles show how airlines create demand for green fuel and oil companies build supply.
Akasa Air is a low cost airline headquartered in Mumbai. It was founded in 2021 by Vinay Dube, who serves as Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer, and it started commercial operations on 7 August 2022. The airline is operated by SNV Aviation and flies an all Boeing 737 MAX fleet powered by CFM LEAP-1B engines. These new generation aircraft use about 20% less fuel and produce lower emissions than the older aircraft they replace. The airline has placed a firm order for 226 Boeing 737 MAX aircraft and currently operates around 40 aircraft. It also uses the SkyBreathe fuel management platform developed by OpenAirlines to track fuel use and cut carbon emissions across its network.
Bharat Petroleum Corporation Ltd (BPCL) is a Maharatna public sector company and a Fortune Global 500 enterprise. Maharatna is a status given by the Government of India to large and profitable public sector firms, giving them greater freedom to invest and expand. BPCL operates three refineries at Mumbai, Kochi and Bina in Madhya Pradesh with a combined capacity of 35.3 million metric tonnes per annum. The company is building a 61,000 tonnes per annum (KTPA) SAF facility at its Mumbai Refinery, which is expected to be commissioned by the end of 2026. It has earmarked about ₹1,400 crore for SAF units at its three refineries and is also developing units at Kochi and Bina. For aviation customers, BPCL runs the digital platform Be Winged to improve fuel supply planning and service at airports.
| Organisation | Key Fact |
|---|---|
| Akasa Air | Founded in 2021, first flight on 7 August 2022, all Boeing 737 MAX fleet with CFM LEAP-1B engines |
| BPCL | Maharatna public sector firm, three refineries with 35.3 million tonnes capacity, 61 KTPA SAF plant coming up in Mumbai |
| Joint MoU | Signed on 15 July 2026 for supply and purchase of SAF blended ATF at selected airports, with joint work on demand forecasts and policy support |
India’s SAF Blending Roadmap and Global Commitments
India has set clear early targets for mixing SAF with normal jet fuel. The National Biofuels Coordination Committee, which is the apex body that guides biofuel policy in India, has approved indicative blending levels for international flights. Indicative means the figures are guiding goals to help industry plan, while the final mandate will be notified separately.
| Year | Indicative SAF Blending Target |
|---|---|
| 2027 | 1% in ATF for international flights |
| 2028 | 2% in ATF for international flights |
| 2030 | 5% in ATF for international flights |
These national goals match the global push led by the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO). ICAO is the United Nations agency headquartered in Montreal, Canada, that sets safety and environmental rules for international air travel. At its Third Conference on Aviation Alternative Fuels in November 2023, ICAO members agreed to a shared aim of cutting carbon dioxide from international aviation by 5% by 2030 through cleaner fuels. In 2022, ICAO also adopted a Long Term Aspirational Goal (LTAG) of net zero carbon emissions from international aviation by 2050. Net zero means cutting emissions as close to zero as possible, with any leftover emissions balanced by removing carbon from the air.
The main global tool for this is the Carbon Offsetting and Reduction Scheme for International Aviation (CORSIA). CORSIA was adopted by ICAO in 2016 and asks airlines to monitor their emissions and pay for offsets or use cleaner fuels when emissions rise above a fixed baseline of 85% of 2019 levels. The International Air Transport Association (IATA), which is the global body of airlines headquartered in Montreal and Geneva, has also committed to net zero by 2050. IATA estimates that SAF could provide about 65% of the emission cuts needed to reach that goal, with the rest coming from new aircraft technology, better air traffic control and carbon offsets.
India’s plan is supported by a detailed feasibility study released on 3 September 2025 by the Ministry of Civil Aviation with ICAO under the ACT SAF programme. ACT SAF stands for Assistance, Capacity building and Training for Sustainable Aviation Fuels, and it helps countries build SAF supply chains. The study found that India has more than 750 million tonnes of biomass and nearly 230 million tonnes of surplus farm residue every year, which can be turned into fuel. It estimated that India would need about 53 million litres of SAF by 2027 for a 1% blend on international flights and about 290 million litres by 2030 for a 5% blend on international flights. If domestic flights are also included, the need rises to about 130 million litres for 1% in 2027 and about 720 million litres for 5% in 2030. The study also noted that SAF use can cut India’s aviation emissions by 20 to 25 million tonnes every year, reduce crude oil imports and raise rural incomes through sale of farm waste.
Why This Flight Matters for Indian Aviation
Aviation is one of the hardest sectors to clean up because long flights have no electric alternative at present. In 2019, before the pandemic, Indian carriers used about 8 million tonnes of ATF and released about 20 million tonnes of greenhouse gases. Studies estimate India has raw material to produce 19 to 24 million tonnes of SAF per year, which is far more than its own need. Turning even a small part of farm stubble and used oil into jet fuel can therefore cut imports, reduce smoke from stubble burning and give farmers extra income.
For business, the flight shows that SAF has moved from trial to commercial use. India’s first passenger flight on home made SAF blend was operated in May 2023 by Air Asia from Pune to Delhi using fuel made by Praj Industries and supplied by Indian Oil. The Akasa Air flight in September 2026 is the next step, where an airline and a fuel supplier test regular airport handling, fuelling and flight data on a normal ticketed service. This practical learning is important because from 2027 CORSIA offset duties will cover more than 85% of international traffic. Airlines that start using SAF early can lower their future offset bills and show readiness for stricter rules in Europe and other markets.
The flight also fits Akasa Air’s low cost and green fleet strategy. A young fleet with efficient engines already lowers fuel cost per seat, which is critical in India’s price sensitive market. Adding SAF, even at 1%, helps the airline build skills, supplier links and public trust before blending levels rise to 2% and 5%.
The Way Forward
The next challenge is scale, cost and policy. SAF still costs much more than normal jet fuel because supply is small and collection of waste feedstock is scattered. BPCL’s plan to start its first SAF unit by the end of 2026, along with work by Indian Oil and Hindustan Petroleum, will test whether co processing in existing refineries can keep costs down while new dedicated plants are built. Fast and clear certification of Indian plants and testing labs will also be needed so that Indian SAF is accepted on international flights under CORSIA rules.
The government is expected to move from indicative goals to a formal National SAF Policy with a mandate starting in 2027. A stable mandate, along with support for farm level collection, funding for new technology and fair pricing for airlines and refiners, will decide how fast 1% grows to 5% and beyond. If supply grows as planned, India can not only meet its own blending needs but also export SAF, in line with its wider climate pledge of net zero by 2070 and a 45% cut in emission intensity by 2030 from 2005 levels.
Key Takeaways
- Akasa Air operated its first commercial flight on 8 September 2026 from Mumbai to Goa using ATF blended with 1% SAF supplied by BPCL.
- The flight follows the MoU signed on 15 July 2026 between Akasa Air and BPCL for supply of SAF blended ATF at selected airports.
- SAF can cut lifecycle carbon dioxide emissions by up to 80% compared to normal jet fuel and is made from used cooking oil, farm residue and waste.
- India has set indicative SAF blending targets of 1% by 2027, 2% by 2028 and 5% by 2030 for international flights.
- CORSIA, adopted by ICAO in 2016, and the LTAG net zero goal for 2050 guide global aviation climate action, with IATA estimating 65% of cuts will come from SAF.
- BPCL is building a 61 KTPA SAF facility at Mumbai Refinery for commissioning by the end of 2026 as part of a ₹1,400 crore SAF investment.
