Scripting history, India tested its first biofuel flight on Monday with low-fare private airline SpiceJet. The airline operated its turboprop Q400 aircraft from Dehradun to the national capital and landed at Terminal 2 of Indira Gandhi International Airport. The aircraft used 75% aviation turbine fuel and 25% bio-fuel. With the successful completion of the test, India has become the first developing country to adopt the sustainable alternative jet fuel.

Union Minister of Petroleum & Natural Gas Dharmendra Pradhan, Union Minister of Road Transport & Highways Nitin Gadkari and Union Minister of Commerce & Industry and Civil Aviation Suresh Prabhu, among others, were present on arrival of the aircraft.

Uttarakhand Chief Minister Trivendra S Rawat flagged off the demo jet fuel flight.

बायोफ्यूल से फ्लाइट उड़ाने वाला भारत पहला विकासशील देश बन गया है। जॉलीग्रांट एयरपोर्ट पर बायोफ्यूल से चलने वाली फ्लाइट को फ्लैग ऑफ़ किया। इस सफल प्रयोग से भारत की अरब देशों पर तेल की निर्भरता कम हो सकेगी। साथ ही कार्बन उत्सर्जन में 80 फीसद तक कमी लाई जा सकेगी। pic.twitter.com/KMH2Pm9jVU — Trivendra S Rawat (@tsrawatbjp) August 27, 2018

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The biofuel has been developed by the Indian Institute of Petroleum. Bio-fuel is produced by biological processes, instead of geological processes, which can significantly reduce the airline operating cost.

After the test-flight, Union Minister Dharmendra Pradhan said that after the successful testing of the alternative jet fuel, India has joined the queue of countries like the US and Australia. The Union Minister also said that the bio-jet fuel will reduce the flight expenses by up to 20%.

देश के एविएशन क्षेत्र में आज से नई क्रांति की शुरुआत हो गई है। देश में पहली बार बायो जेटफ्यूल पर चलने वाला हवाई जहाज देहरादून से दिल्ली पहुँचा। इसके सफल परीक्षण से भारत अब अमेरिका और ऑस्ट्रेलिया जैसे देशों की कतार में आ गया है। बायो जेटफ्यूल 20% तक उड़ान खर्च कम करेगा। pic.twitter.com/cPxqnExjUC — Nitin Gadkari (@nitin_gadkari) August 27, 2018

The Union Minister also said that just a few days after the announcement of new biofuel policy by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, India successfully implemented it on Monday. The PM announced the policy on August 10. Dharmendra Pradhan also said that the successful testing is a “big achievement” in aviation and “clean energy sector”.

On 10th August, PM Modi announced the new biofuel policy and today we have successfully implemented it in the aviation sector. It's a big achievement in aviation and clean energy sector. GST has been decreased on Biodiesel and ethanol: Union Petroleum Minister Dharmendra Pradhan pic.twitter.com/E8ZIKjmhMa — ANI (@ANI) August 27, 2018

On the occasion, Dharmendra Pradhan also remembered the incident when he flagged of the first Bio-fuelled bus in Pune, Maharashtra. Pradhan said almost a year after the flagging off the alternative fuel, India stride ahead by making it to a “successful run of first Bio-fuelled flight.

Hardly a year back I had the pleasure of flagging of the first Bio- fuelled bus in Pune and today we have made it to a successful run of our very first Bio-fuelled flight. It has truly been a remarkable journey. #Biofuels #CleanEnergy #SustainableDevelopment pic.twitter.com/ORouhEy0xs — Dharmendra Pradhan (@dpradhanbjp) August 27, 2018

The Union Minister also said that the historic step was in sync with PM Modi’s vision of creating “wealth from waste” and “reduce import dependency”.