Reliance plans to increase aviation fuel stations by 50%

NEW DELHI: Billionaire Mukesh Ambani’s Reliance Industries Ltd (RIL) plans to increase its network of aviation fuel stations by 50 per cent as it looks to capture greater market share in the business currently controlled by public sector oil retailing firms.

In its latest annual report, RIL said the double-digit growth observed over 52 consecutive months might have been stalled due to the COVID19 pandemic, but India continues to be one of the fastest growing aviation markets in the world for the fifth consecutive year.

RIL, which operates the world’s largest single location oil refining complex, plans to capture this opportunity through increased presence at airports to refuel airplanes. Air-passenger traffic in India rose 9 per cent even in

February after the Indian carriers recouped to full capacity that was lowered following the closure of a major domestic carrier in the first few months of financial year 2019-20 (April 2019 to March 2020) as well as disruptions at Mumbai airport owing to construction and maintenance, it said. Following the COVID-19 pandemic, while travel restrictions were being imposed elsewhere, India was largely unaffected till the end of March 2020, before the sharp escalation in travel bans globally and lockdowns impacted India’s aviation sector too.

“On account of its network strength, cost competitiveness, industry leading technology and best-in-class service standards, RIL improved its volume share in the domestic market,” according to the annual report.