'Catastrophic like the Air India crash': Kerala Congress on what may go wrong with ethanol blended ATF

India has permitted blending of ethanol and other synthetic hydrocarbons in aviation turbine fuel (ATF) as part of efforts to cut emissions and reduce dependence on oil imports.

The Kerala Congress unit has warned that the move could have “catastrophic consequences,” drawing a comparison with the Air India Express Flight 1344 crash.

In a post on X, the party criticised the Centre, alleging that “Nitin Gadkari and Narendra Modi are playing with real fire, driven by ignorance and greed.”


Explaining its concerns, the party said ethanol has a lower energy density (around 26.8 MJ/kg) compared to ATF (about 43.2 MJ/kg), which could impact engine performance during critical phases such as take-off. “If a fully loaded aircraft does not get sufficient thrust, the consequences can be catastrophic,” it said.


The post also claimed that aircraft using ethanol blends would require higher fuel volumes to achieve the same range, potentially reducing payload capacity and efficiency.

Raising safety concerns, it added that ethanol is hygroscopic—meaning it absorbs moisture from the air—which could freeze at high altitudes and form ice crystals, risking blockage of fuel lines and filters.

The party further argued that ethanol’s solvent properties could degrade specialised materials and seals used in aircraft fuel systems, potentially leading to leaks or contamination.

It also called for extensive testing before any public rollout, saying such decisions should not compromise aviation safety.

The Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas (MoPNG), through a gazette notification, amended rules governing the marketing of ATF, broadening the definition of the fuel and aligning enforcement provisions with updated criminal procedures.

Under the amendment, ATF is now defined as a mixture of hydrocarbons conforming to IS 1571 specifications or blends with synthetic hydrocarbons under IS 17081 standards, enabling the inclusion of newer fuel variants.


ATF is primarily produced by refining crude oil. Globally, countries such as the UK and Japan are increasingly mandating blending sustainable aviation fuel (SAF), which is produced by converting renewable feedstocks, such as waste oils and fats, sugar and cereal, municipal solid waste, wood and agricultural residues, or CO2, in ATF to cut emissions.


SAF is also sometimes referred to as synthetic or man-made hydrocarbons.

India is targeting to blend 1 per cent SAF into jet fuel for international flights by 2027, rising to 2 per cent by 2028 and 5 per cent by 2030 in line with the CORSIA mandate.

No targets for fuel used in domestic flights have been set so far.