The Indian government has set a 5% blending target for sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) by 2030 on international flights, NDTV reported.
To enable a gradual shift toward green aviation, the government had approved SAF blending targets of 1% by 2027, 2% by 2028 and 5% by 2030, Murlidhar Mohol, Minister of State for Civil Aviation, told Parliament in response to a question.
The targets would initially apply to international flights departing from India, the 1 December report said.
Acknowledging the challenges of higher production costs and limited SAF feedstock availability, public sector oil marketing companies were “actively engaged” in meeting the targets, the minister said.
As a member of the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), India is obligated to comply with the Carbon Offsetting and Reduction Scheme for International Aviation (CORSIA) – a global market-based mechanism aimed at reducing emissions from international flights.
Under the scheme, airlines will be required to offset emissions above 2019 levels starting from 2027. The scheme applies only to international flights.
India had joined ICAO’s Assistance, Capacity-building and Training for Sustainable Aviation Fuels (ACT-SAF) programme, which supported member states in adopting cleaner aviation fuels and reducing carbon emissions from international aviation, Mohol added.
The Union Civil Aviation Ministry said the push for SAF and readiness for CORSIA were in line with India’s wider climate commitments, including its Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) under the Paris Agreement.
