India’s first test flight powered by bio-fuel and operated by SpiceJet landed at Delhi airport on Monday (August 27). According to sources, a concoction of bio-fuel powered one of the turbine engines of a SpiceJet’s Q400 turboprop flight. The flight was operated from Dehradun to Delhi.
It was received by key ministers and airline’s top management at IGI Airport Terminal 2.
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.
Currently, 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.
Besides, the success of the flight will pave the way for further testing and aid in fulfilling the central government’s move to curtail India’s dependence on crude oil imports
