Will air travel get cheaper? The effects of biofuel-powered aircraft

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Written by Alain St.Ange

The Indian government cleared the national biofuel policy.Low-budget airline, SpiceJet, will test India’s first biofuel-powered flight .

In May of this year, the Indian government cleared the national biofuel policy.

Low-budget airline, SpiceJet, will test India’s first biofuel-powered flight in Dehradun. With this, India will be the first among developing countries to do so and will join select few countries, including the US, Canada, and Australia, which have flown biofuel-operated aircraft.

“India’s first flight powered by biofuel to take off today. A significant boost to encourage alternative fuels…The initiative is a huge step towards encouraging sustainable and alternative fuels for the transportation & aviation sector as envisaged in national biofuel policy,” said oil minister Dharmendra Pradhan on Twitter.

The biofuel being used for demonstration has been developed by Indian Institute of Petroleum, Dehradun. If the test is successful, SpiceJet aircraft will operate a flight to Delhi, said media reports.

The move to use biofuel as an alternative fuel comes at a time when the domestic airlines are struggling to stay afloat as costly turbine fuel has strained their finances. ET now reported citing sources that the objective of using biofuel-powered aircraft is to make air travel cheaper and also to bring some respite to the local carriers.

In May this year, Indian government cleared the national biofuel policy, as it looks at exploring various options, including focusing on biofuel, to cut down its dependence on import for energy requirement and also to bring down the cost of crude oil import.

At present, India is the third largest oil consumer in the world and almost 80% of its crude oil needs are met with imports. In the last financial year, a total of $88 billion were spent on import of crude oil only.

Earlier this month, Prime Minister Narendra Modi also said on the occasion of World Biofuel Day 2018 that the government is targeting to promote the use of biofuel in a major way so as to reduce the crude oil import bill by Rs 12,000 crore over the next four years.

In 2010, Kingfisher Airlines, which no longer operates, had also signed a memorandum of understanding with the Anna University in Chennai for a joint research collaboration programme to explore alternative energy sources like biofuel.

About the author

Avatar of Alain St.Ange

Alain St.Ange

Alain St Ange has been working in the tourism business since 2009. He was appointed as the Director of Marketing for Seychelles by President and Minister of Tourism James Michel.

He was appointed as the Director of Marketing for Seychelles by President and Minister of Tourism James Michel. After one year of

After one year of service, he was promoted to the position of CEO of the Seychelles Tourism Board.

In 2012 the Indian Ocean Vanilla Islands regional Organization was formed and St Ange was appointed as the first president of the organization.

In a 2012 cabinet re-shuffle, St Ange was appointed as Minister of Tourism and Culture which he resigned on 28 December 2016 in order to pursue a candidacy as Secretary General of the World Tourism Organisation.

At the UNWTO General Assembly in Chengdu in China, a person who was being sought after for the “Speakers Circuit” for tourism and sustainable development was Alain St.Ange.

St.Ange is the former Seychelles Minister of Tourism, Civil Aviation, Ports and Marine who left office in December last year to run for the position of Secretary General of the UNWTO. When his candidature or document of endorsement was withdrawn by his country just a day before the elections in Madrid, Alain St.Ange showed his greatness as a speaker when he addressed the UNWTO gathering with grace, passion, and style.

His moving speech was recorded as the one on the best marking speeches at this UN international body.

African countries often remember his Uganda address for the East Africa Tourism Platform when he was a guest of honor.

As former Tourism Minister, St.Ange was a regular and popular speaker and was often seen addressing forums and conferences on behalf of his country. His ability to speak ‘off the cuff’ was always seen as a rare ability. He often said he speaks from the heart.

In Seychelles he is remembered for a marking address at the official opening of the island’s Carnaval International de Victoria when he reiterated the words of John Lennon famous song… ” you may say I am a dreamer, but I am not the only one. One day you will all join us and the world will be better as one”. The world press contingent gathered in Seychelles on the day ran with the words by St.Ange which made headlines everywhere.

St.Ange delivered the keynote address for the “Tourism & Business Conference in Canada”

Seychelles is a good example for sustainable tourism. This is therefore not surprising to see Alain St.Ange being sought after as a speaker on the international circuit.

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