Akasa Air and Bharat Petroleum Corporation Limited (BPCL) operated a commercial service using conventional aviation turbine fuel blended with one per cent Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF). The flight departed Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport, Mumbai, at 13:05 IST and arrived at Manohar International Airport, Goa, at 14:30 IST, according to the airline release. The operation follows a memorandum of understanding signed in July 2026 under which the two parties will explore adoption of SAF and related decarbonisation opportunities.

The trial is intended to provide practical learnings and help inform future initiatives on supply and offtake frameworks for SAF-blended Aviation Turbine Fuel (ATF) at designated airports across India. Akasa Air described sustainability as a core value that shapes long-term fleet and operational choices, noting investment in next-generation aircraft and technology to improve efficiency. The airline emphasised that its Boeing 737 MAX fleet, powered by CFM International LEAP-1B engines and equipped with advanced winglets, reduces fuel use and emissions by 20 per cent compared with the aeroplanes it replaces.

The carrier also reported deployment of a SkyBreathe fuel-management solution from OpenAirlines that uses advanced analytics to improve operational efficiency and reduce carbon emissions across the network. Akasa Air further stated that it voluntarily discontinued traditional water-cannon salutes during inaugurations, conserving 0.55 million (mn) litres of water to date. These measures formed part of an agenda to scale sustainable practices while assessing commercial and policy enablers for SAF.

BPCL said the transition from conventional fuels to sustainable alternatives is both an environmental imperative and a strategic necessity for India and acknowledged past challenges of feedstock availability and fragmented supply chains. The company indicated that sustained efforts across the value chain are helping to create the foundation for a viable SAF ecosystem and that it remains committed to advancing sustainable fuels as part of India's energy transition. It added that enhancing energy security through sustainable and indigenous solutions is central to the approach.