The country's largest airline IndiGo on Friday took delivery of its first aircraft from Airbus that operated on a blend of sustainable aviation fuel and normal fuel.
While SAF is yet to be approved for commercial flights, various test flights, powered by such fuel, have been operated. SAF will reduce carbon emissions. "IndiGo has taken delivery of its first aircraft operating on Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) from Airbus... This is the first international flight operated
by any Indian carrier using SAF," the airline said in a release.
The A320 neo plane -- which took off from Toulouse in France on Thursday and landed at the Indira Gandhi International Airport (IGIA) here on Friday had a blend of 10 per cent SAF and 90 per cent normal fuel, according to airline officials.
Emphasising that IndiGo is committed to sustainability, Dutta said, "By 2050, we will be carbon neutral... It is not just a promise, we have an action plan in place".
Over a period from 2016 to 2023, the airline is aiming at a 16 per cent reduction in carbon emissions, he said while speaking at an event at the airport to mark the arrival of the aircraft. Dutta said the airline is talking to a lot of manufacturers, including Shell, and the Indian Institute of Petroleum, Dehradun.
"They assure us... that as volumes pick up, cost will come down. It is a little bit of a chicken and egg; the airline needs to get the volume then the refiners and producers will bring the cost down. That's why we are all making baby steps. Let's start the journey, start consuming SAF so that refiners can start
producing more volumes. That is where we are," he said while responding to a question.
No comments:
Post a Comment