India expands aviation fuel definition to include ethanol blends
→ATF suppliers must certify fuels to IS 17081 before supply; non-compliant shipments risk seizure
Change
India's Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas has amended the Aviation Turbine Fuel (Regulation of Marketing) Order, 2001 to expand ATF's legal definition to include ethanol and synthetic-hydrocarbon blends and to invoke search-and-seizure enforcement under the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita, 2023, effective on gazette publication.
Why it matters
Aviation turbine fuel supplied under the amended order must either conform to Indian Standard (IS) 1571 or, when blended with synthetic hydrocarbons including ethanol, meet IS 17081 specifications. India has set targets to blend 1% sustainable aviation fuel into international flights by 2027, 2% by 2028 and 5% by 2030, aligning domestic targets with the CORSIA mandatory compliance window starting 2027.
Implications
- — Refiners and aviation fuel suppliers in India must attach IS 1571 or IS 17081 test certification to every ATF shipment immediately — shipments without the required certification face enforcement action including search and seizure under the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita, 2023.
- — Airlines' fuel procurement teams and airport fuelling operators must accept deliveries only from suppliers who provide IS 1571/IS 17081 certification before arrival — accepting uncertified deliveries will expose the operator to enforcement action under the amended ATF order.
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Source
View on Economic Times