<article><p class="lead">India's diesel and jet fuel use in December 2021 was lower than December 2019, as demand is yet to recover to pre-pandemic levels. But transport fuel consumption rose on the month and year.</p><p>Diesel consumption of 1.55mn b/d in December was up by 9pc on the month and by 1pc on the year, but it was down by 2pc compared to December 2019, according to data from state-controlled refiners that account for around 90pc of the country's fuel sales.</p><p>Gasoline demand of 692,000 b/d continued to surpass pre-pandemic levels, up by 13pc compared to December 2019. It was up by 3pc on the month and by 4pc compared to December 2020, the data showed.</p><p>The use of the motor fuel has been above 2019 levels, as preference for personal vehicles over public transport has increased following the easing of lockdowns, market participants told <i>Argus</i>. Most of the personal two-wheeler vehicles and a good share of cars run on gasoline, while public transport such as buses operate on gasoil.</p><p>"One major change taking place is transporters are moving towards a multi-model approach. That is, we carry the goods to the railway station for the first leg and then carry them via train to the next point, where we unload and carry it again by truck to the delivery point," said Mahendra Arya, national president of All India Transporters Welfare Association (AITWA).</p><p>"This may substantially reduce diesel consumption, even though the business continues to be robust, as the movement by road is reduced. This will take place more because of higher [retail] diesel prices and as train and road movement are comparable in terms of time and prices," he added.</p><p>AITWA represents nearly 65pc of the organised Indian road transport business and has been recognised as one of the foremost apex bodies in the country's road transport sector by the road transport and highways ministry, as per the organisation's website. It also acts as the industry's mouthpiece in matters related to the country's road transport sector.</p><p>Meanwhile, jet fuel use rose by 6pc on the month and by 25pc on the year to 128,000 b/d, data showed. The improvement in consumption was echoed by an increase in the country's air traffic.</p><p>Daily domestic airport footfall, which includes both departing and arriving passengers, averaged about 717,000 in December, according to <i>Argus</i> estimates based on daily traffic data published by the country's civil aviation ministry. This was up from <a href="https://direct.argusmedia.com/newsandanalysis/article/2278805">November 2021's daily average of 698,000</a>.</p><p>Daily aircraft movement, which includes both departing and arriving flights, averaged about 5,600 last month, compared to a daily average of about 5,400 in November 2021. </p><p>On the international front, India's daily airport footfall of international passengers averaged 96,000 last month, while foreign aircraft movement averaged 595/day.</p><p>But jet fuel demand still held below pre-pandemic levels, down by 27pc from December 2019, data showed.</p><p class="bylines">By Sathya Narayanan and S Dinakar</p></article>
