IAF flies plane using blend of jet fuel and biofuel during R-day parade for first time

In a first for the Republic Day parade, the IAF on Saturday flew an An-32 aircraft in 'vic' formation, whose lead plane used a mix of traditional and biofuel during the grand event.

The An-32 (Satluj) formation also exhibited India's quest to seek alternative sources of fuel. The lead aircraft of the formation was flown using Aviation Turbine Fuel blended with 10 per cent biofuel, a senior IAF official said.

The biofuel has been extracted from Jatropha plant seeds using a technology patented by the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) and the Indian Institute of Petroleum, Dehradun, the IAF said.

In a significant move, the use of indigenously produced biofuel for military aircraft has been cleared after months of exhaustive ground and flight trials, officials said Thursday.

The Indian Air Force is expected to use biofuel for its transport fleet and helicopters following the clearance given by the Centre for Military Airworthiness and Certification (CEMILAC).

During the