Akasa Air and BPCL successfully operate commercial flight using Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF)

Akasa Air, India’s fastest-growing airline, successfully operated a commercial flight using conventional aviation turbine fuel blended with 1% Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF), supplied by Bharat Petroleum Corporation Limited (BPCL) on September 8, 2026.

The Flight
- Date & Route: September 8, 2026 — Mumbai (CSMIA) → Goa (GOX).
- Fuel: Conventional aviation turbine fuel blended with 1% Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF).
- Supplier: Bharat Petroleum Corporation Limited (BPCL).
- Duration: Departed 13:05 IST, arrived 14:30 IST.

Strategic Context
- Builds on MoU signed in July 2026 between Akasa Air and BPCL to explore SAF adoption.
- Provides practical learnings for scaling SAF in India.
- Supports India’s ambition of 5% SAF blending by 2030 and IATA’s net-zero by 2050 goal.

Leadership Voices
- Ankur Goel (CFO, Akasa Air): Sustainability is core; scaling SAF requires ecosystem coordination, domestic supply, enabling policy, and commercial viability.
- Subhankar Sen (Director, Marketing, BPCL): SAF is both an environmental imperative and strategic necessity; India must enhance energy security with indigenous sustainable solutions.

Broader Impact
- India’s aviation decarbonisation: SAF adoption is a critical step in reducing carbon emissions.
- Akasa’s sustainability ethos:
- Boeing 737 MAX fleet (20% lower fuel burn vs older aircraft).
- SkyBreathe® fuel management analytics.
- Voluntary opt-out of water-cannon salutes, conserving 550,000+ litres of water.

This flight is more symbolic than technical (1% SAF blend is modest), but it’s a proof of concept that signals Akasa Air’s intent to lead India’s aviation sustainability journey.