February saw a return to pre-Covid levels of aircraft fuel sales

NEW DELHI: In February, jet fuel sales reached pre-pandemic levels as an increasing number of Indians traveled abroad without a visa thanks to numerous nations’ visa-free entrance policies, which increased demand from overseas flights on top of the rapidly increasing domestic air travel.
However, demand for diesel, a crucial sign of economic activity, remained sluggish, while gasoline use increased strongly due to people’s persistent preference for private automobiles.

Jet fuel sales were somewhat higher on Friday than they were in February 2020, when the globe had begun to shut down in an effort to curb the spread of the Covid virus, according to preliminary statistics from state-run fuel dealers. Sales increased by 7% from February of last year, but a 55% rise from the same month in 2022 supported the demand reversal. Monthly sales increased by 3.5%.
Since the lockout in March 2020, when the number of foreign flights was decreased by more than half, jet fuel sales have been difficult to recover from. When individuals started favoring personal automobiles for commuting in late 2021, gasoline consumption was the first to recover.