IndianOil Corporation

IndianOil Achieves Another ‘First’ for Atmanirbhar Bharat: Indigenous ‘AVGAS 100 LL’ Aviation Fuel

From being country’s first producer of AVGAS 100 LL to now an exporter, the journey of IndianOil has been incredible and brings Atmanirbhar Bharat mission in words & deeds

In September 2022, IndianOil made a significant impact on the aviation fuel industry by launching its indigenously made aviation fuel, ‘AVGAS 100 LL’, contributing to the Atmanirbhar Bharat initiative. IndianOil, India’s leading Oil & Gas major, a Fortune Global 500 company and the nation’s largest PSU Oil Marketing Company, has developed this specialised aviation fuel through its inhouse research.

There are several types of aviation fuels designed to meet the specific needs of the global aviation industry. The majority of aviation fuel is Aviation Turbine Fuel (ATF), also known as Jet Fuel (Jet A1), which is used in large, commercial aircraft.

In contrast, AVGAS 100 LL is used to fuel smaller aircraft and those with turbo-charged reciprocating piston engines, primarily utilised by Flying Training Organisations (FTOs) and defence forces for training pilots.

With this significant achievement, IndianOil has become the first company to produce AVGAS 100 LL in India, enhancing self-sufficiency in this crucial aviation fuel, replacing imports, and conserving valuable foreign exchange.

Manufactured at IndianOil’s cutting-edge Gujarat refinery in Vadodara, AVGAS 100 LL has been tested and certified by the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), which is responsible for regulating civil aviation in the country. This high-octane aviation fuel not only meets product specifications but also offers superior performance quality standards compared to imported grades.

Air travel is no longer a luxury and is becoming increasingly popular in both large metropolitan areas and smaller cities. India is currently one of the largest domestic and civil aviation markets globally, and poised for a brisk growth in the coming years.

The growth in civil aviation, spurred by the UDAN scheme and the Government’s pragmatic vision to accelerate civil aviation, has led to an increased demand for pilots. The number of airports in the country has risen from 74 to 140 over the past eight years, with projections for it to reach 220 by 2027. The indigenously produced AVGAS 100 LL will reduce flight training costs for pilots in India, with the domestically available fuel’s lower costs facilitating the establishment of more flight training institutes in the country.

Already a dominant player in Jet A1 fuel, IndianOil has now also become a pioneer in AVGAS 100 LL fuel in India, fostering further rapid growth of civil aviation in the country.

ALAN PEAFORD, EDITOR-IN-CHIEF, FINN, REVIEWS SP’S CIVIL AVIATION YEARBOOK

“Guide to Asian aviation in one book. 2019 edition has expanded its reach to cover the various sub markets across the whole of the Asian continent from Saudi Arabia in the west to Japan in the East.”

Alan Peaford

Editor-in-Chief FINN (Farnborough International News Network), Editor of Arabian Aerospace, African Aerospace and UK’s ADS Advance

Alan Peaford is a former national newspaper journalist and the current President of the UK’s Institute of Internal Communications. He has also edited Flight International’s Flight Daily News for 17 years and has won an Aerospace Journalist of the Year award on five occasions. He has been writing for many newspapers and trade magazines. Alan has also appeared on BBC news channel for aerospace related talks.

Key extracts of the Review:

• Guide to Asian Aviation in one book.

• 2019 edition has expanded its reach to cover the various sub markets across the whole of the Asian continent from Saudi Arabia in the west to Japan in the East.

• The authors – led by Editor-in-Chief Jayant Baranwal – provide a series of op-ed articles on subjects ranging from the world of turboprops to electric aircraft and concerns over capacity crunch.

• The Yearbook is a stamp in time, a broad snapshot of the civil aviation industry.

• More than half of the Yearbook is devoted to data including organisation charts of various government departments or the names of the key personnel across airlines and airports.