The Centre on Thursday categorically denied claims that it was planning to blend ethanol with aviation turbine fuel (ATF), with Civil Aviation Minister Ram Mohan Naidu Kinjarapu describing the allegation as 'completely false and irresponsible' and asserting there was 'no such proposal' under consideration. According to reports from The Economic Times, ANI, Business Standard, and latest clarifications, Union civil aviation minister Ram Mohan Naidu Kinjarapu made the clarification in a post on social media, stating there is 'no such proposal' under consideration by the government. The minister's statement came after Aam Aadmi Party national convener Arvind Kejriwal shared a media report on social media, questioning the safety of using what he described as 'adulterated aviation fuel' and advising people against purchasing new petrol and diesel vehicles for the next few years. BJP IT Cell chief Amit Malviya also rejected Kejriwal's claims, stating that 'the claim is false and the government has not announced blending ordinary ethanol into ATF'. As per Moneycontrol, Malviya emphasized that 'what has been notified is the inclusion of Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) within the regulatory framework for ATF'. Naidu added that spreading misinformation on aviation safety only creates needless anxiety among air travellers, with passenger safety remaining the Government's highest priority.
The government has issued a comprehensive clarification on Thursday, August 6, stating that no concession or commitment has been made regarding import of ethanol for fuel blending from the United States. According to the Commerce Department, India has not offered any concessions or commitments to the US on imports of ethanol for fuel blending in the ongoing bilateral trade negotiations. The ministry emphasized that recent claims in the media suggesting that India is importing and intends to import large quantities of ethanol from the United States for fuel blending are baseless and factually incorrect. The government on Thursday said no concessions or commitments relating to the import of ethanol for fuel blending from the US have been made in the India-US trade pact discussions. As per the domestic policy framework, it said, ethanol used for fuel blending under the Ethanol Blended with Petrol Programme is sourced entirely from domestic producers. The government on Thursday said no concessions or commitments relating to the import of ethanol for fuel blending from the US have been made in the India-US trade discussions. Accordingly, any suggestion of a policy change to permit large-scale imports of fuel ethanol from the US is misleading, as per the ministry statement.
Minister Naidu clarified that ethanol and sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) are 'entirely different' fuels and should not be confused with one another. As reported by The Economic Times, ANI, and Business Standard, he explained that SAF is an internationally certified aviation fuel recognised by the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) and has been adopted globally. The minister added that SAF undergoes rigorous testing and meets stringent international safety standards before being approved for use. Malviya further clarified that SAF is 'aviation-grade fuel produced through advanced processing that is chemically similar to conventional ATF and is fully compatible with aircraft engines'. He emphasized that 'SAF does not alter the fundamental nature, safety or performance of aviation fuel' and that 'India is aligning with global aviation practices'. Malviya stated that any sustainable aviation fuel must undergo rigorous testing and certification under internationally accepted ASTM standards recognised by ICAO before it can be approved for aviation use. Malviya warned that 'conflating certified Sustainable Aviation Fuel with simply 'mixing ethanol into jet fuel' is inaccurate and unnecessarily creates alarm about aviation safety'. Malviya noted that ICAO's CORSIA framework and several major aviation markets are moving towards increasing use of certified Sustainable Aviation Fuel to reduce emissions while maintaining the highest safety standards. Reiterating the government's commitment to aviation safety, the minister said passenger safety remains the highest priority and all decisions relating to aviation fuel are guided by internationally accepted technical and safety standards.
The government has approved indicative SAF blending targets of 1% by 2027, 2% by 2028 and 5% by 2030 for international flight operations under the Carbon Offsetting and Reduction Scheme for International Aviation (CORSIA) framework. According to the civil aviation ministry, the meeting reviewed the progress of SAF production projects being undertaken by oil marketing companies and their commissioning timelines. SAF is an alternative aviation fuel produced from non-petroleum feedstocks such as municipal solid waste, woody biomass, fats, greases and oils. ICAO considers SAF to have the greatest potential for reducing carbon dioxide emissions from international aviation. Naidu had said India is committed to developing a globally competitive SAF ecosystem that supports aviation growth while contributing to decarbonisation goals. The controversy centres on a government notification issued on April 17, 2026, amending existing rules related to ATF. The government amended rules to legally recognise ATF blended with Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF). This expands the regulatory framework to allow future use of certified SAF.
The government's strong rejection of ethanol-ATF blending claims comes amid growing concerns about aviation safety. According to The Economic Times, ANI, Business Standard, and latest clarifications, the Centre's response was specifically aimed at addressing misinformation that could potentially impact aviation safety standards and procedures. The government on Thursday said no concessions or commitments relating to the import of ethanol for fuel blending from the US have been made in the India-US trade discussions. Accordingly, any suggestion of a policy change to permit large-scale imports of fuel ethanol from the US is misleading, as per the ministry statement. Malviya noted that ICAO's CORSIA framework and several major aviation markets are moving towards increasing use of certified Sustainable Aviation Fuel to reduce emissions while maintaining the highest safety standards. Reiterating the government's commitment to aviation safety, the minister said passenger safety remains the highest priority and all decisions relating to aviation fuel are guided by internationally accepted technical and safety standards.
