India's jet fuel demand slows down this year: Here's why
India's jet fuel (ATF) growth has slowed way down this year.
From April to August 2025, demand crept up just 1.3%, and August actually saw a drop of nearly 3% compared to last year—a big change from the strong post-pandemic recovery.
Factors affecting ATF demand
Blame it on heavy monsoon rains disrupting flights, runway upgrades at Delhi airport, and more planes out for maintenance.
Recent incidents like an Air India crash and some border tensions didn't help either.
Most ATF is used by domestic flights—about three-quarters—with international routes and military using the rest.
Jet fuel demand dropped during COVID-19
Just a few years ago, COVID-19 had slashed India's jet fuel use by over half in FY21.
But then things bounced back fast: ATF demand shot up by over a third in FY22, nearly 50% more in FY23, and kept growing last year too.
India exports surplus ATF
India actually makes almost twice as much ATF as it uses.
The surplus gets exported, even as safety oversight remains a work in progress for the sector overall.