Blended Bio-Jet Fuelled Aircraft Flown by IAF

On December 17, 2018, Experimental Test Pilots and Test Engineer from the premier testing establishment ASTE of the Indian Air Force (IAF), flew India’s first military flight using blended bio-jet fuel on the An-32 transport aircraft. The project is a combined effort of IAF, DRDO, Directorate General Aeronautical Quality Assurance and CSIR-Indian Institute of Petroleum (IIP). On July 27, 2018, Air Chief Marshal BS Dhanoa, Chief of the Air Staff had announced IAF’s intention to promote biojet fuels. The IAF carried out extensive engine tests on the ground. This is now followed by flight trials using ten per cent biojet blended ATF. This fuel is made from Jatropha oil sourced from Chattisgarh Biodiesel Development Authority and then processed at CSIR-IIP, Dehradun. The IAF intends to fly the An-32 transport aircraft using biojet fuel on January 26, 2019, in the Republic Day fly past.