Winter travel propel India's jet fuel demand past pre-pandemic levels

New Delhi: India's demand for jet fuel in February surged past pre-pandemic levels as increased air travel boosted consumption, preliminary data of state-owned firms showed on Friday.

Aviation turbine fuel sales by three state-owned fuel retailers soared 7.1 per cent to 6,32,600 tonnes in February when compared with the year-ago period. This was 55.2 per cent higher than the consumption in Covid-marred February 2022 and a shade better than 6,32,100 tonnes demand in February 2020, just before the pandemic set in.

Month-on-month jet fuel sales were up 3.5 per cent, the data showed.

India's fuel sales had plunged by as much as 60 per cent soon after India went under a stringent lockdown in late March 2020, shuttering travel as well as businesses.

Petrol consumption, helped by increased use of personal modes of transportation, was first to return to pre-Covid levels in late 2021 while diesel sales reached pre-pandemic levels in mid-2022.

Jet fuel or ATF remained below pre-Covid levels as not all international flights resumed. But now on the back of increased flight departures and passenger footfall rising, the monthly consumption is above pre-pandemic levels.

Petrol sales of three state-owned firms, which control 90 per cent of the fuel market, soared 7.2 per cent to 2.75 million tonnes in February when compared to the year-ago period, while diesel demand inched up marginally by 0.4 per cent to 6.55 million tonnes.

The winter season in northern India led to the tapering of air-conditioning demand.

Month-on-month petrol sales were 6.2 per cent higher when compared to 2.59 million tonnes consumption in January. Diesel demand too rose by 7.2 per cent month-on-month against 6.11 million tonnes in January.

Diesel is India's most consumed fuel, accounting for almost 40 per cent of all petroleum product consumption. The transport sector accounts for 70 per cent of all diesel sales in the country.

Fuel consumption has been on a see-saw over the last couple of months, rising in one month and falling in another.

Consumption of petrol during February was 20 per cent more than in the Covid-marred February 2022 and 29.3 per cent more than in pre-pandemic February 2020.

Diesel consumption grew 13.6 per cent over February 2022 and 7.4 per cent compared to February 2020.

Cooking gas LPG sales too were up 6.6 per cent to 2.71 million tonnes in February when compared to the year-ago period. LPG consumption was 9.5 per cent higher than in February 2022 and 25.9 per cent more than in pre-Covid February 2020.

Month-on-month, LPG demand rose 1.4 per cent against 2.67 million tonnes of LPG consumption during January, the data showed.