Akasa Air, BPCL operate Mumbai–Goa commercial flight with 1% SAF blend

Akasa Air flew a Mumbai–Goa commercial service using a 1% sustainable aviation fuel blend supplied by BPCL, progressing the partners’ SAF adoption MoU. The companies plan to develop SAF supply and offtake arrangements at designated Indian airports.

— Source publishedWed, 9 Sept, 2026, 13:21 IST·First seen Wed, 9 Sept, 2026, 13:25 IST·Source The Hindu BusinessLine

What happened

Akasa Air operated a Mumbai-Goa commercial flight using aviation fuel blended with 1% SAF supplied by BPCL, advancing their SAF adoption MoU. The companies aim

Key facts

  • 1% sustainable aviation fuel blend
  • 13:05 IST departure
  • 14:30 IST arrival
  • 20% reduction in fuel use and emissions versus replaced aircraft
  • More than 5.5 lakh litres of water conserved

Why this matters

Akasa Air’s move from an MoU to a live flight strengthens the case for deeper BPCL collaboration around airport-specific SAF supply, long-term offtake and infrastructure partnerships.

What to watch

  • Announcement of designated Indian airports with SAF handling and blending infrastructure
  • A multi-flight or long-term SAF offtake agreement between BPCL and Akasa
  • BPCL disclosure of SAF production capacity, feedstock source, certification status or refinery investment
  • Indian government SAF blending targets, tax incentives, viability-gap support or carbon-market rules
  • Evidence of SAF-related fare surcharges, corporate travel premiums or book-and-claim programs
  • Additional airline participation beyond Akasa Air
  • BPCL and Akasa Air are likely to identify specific airports for SAF storage, blending, certification and recurring offtake arrangements.
  • Akasa may use additional SAF-powered services on high-visibility routes to build ESG credibility with corporate accounts and investors.
  • BPCL may seek feedstock partnerships and refinery conversion economics to move from imported or pilot-scale supply toward domestic production.
  • Other Indian airlines and airport operators may pursue similar refinery partnerships to avoid being positioned behind early SAF adopters.
  • Corporate travel managers may begin requesting SAF certificates or emissions-reduction options for India domestic travel programs.

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