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While launching the fuel, Oil Minister Hardeep Singh Puri said that the launch of indigenous AV Gas 100 LL is important to serve the needs of the aviation industry, with increases footfalls in airports, rise in the number of aircraft and FTOs in trainee for pilot training
Photo Credit : Reuters
State owned refiner Indian Oil Corporation (IOC) on Monday launched a special aviation fuel for small aircraft and unmanned aerial vehicles (drones). At present, these are imported from European countries.
The principal grade of aviation gasoline, AVGAS 100 LL, is used in turbo charged reciprocating piston engine aircraft, mainly used by Flying Training Organisations (FTOs) and the defence forces to train pilots, the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas (MoPNG) said in a statement.
While launching the fuel, Oil Minister Hardeep Singh Puri said that the launch of indigenous AV Gas 100 LL is important to serve the needs of the aviation industry, with increases footfalls in airports, rise in the number of aircraft and FTOs in trainee for pilot training.
As the demand for air transport is expected to increase manifold in the future, there will be a huge demand for trained pilots also. The number of FTOs is expected to increase significantly, he added.
“The AV gas market is expected to grow from the current $1.92 billion to $2.71 billion by 2029. We plan to set up a new facility soon to target export opportunities, besides catering to domestic demand. I am confident that the superior quality we offer, combined with competitive pricing, will give us a significant edge in the global market,” said IOC Chairman Shrikant Madhav Vaidya.
Indian Oil’s R&D, Refineries and Marketing teams have achieved this feat of indigenous production and offered a price advantage to the industry.