Pelita Air Flies on Pertamina's Used Cooking Oil SAF for the First Time, With a 2.5% UCO Blend

Jakarta — Pelita Air, the airline subsidiary of Pertamina, flew a commercial service on sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) made by Pertamina from used cooking oil on Wednesday, 20 August 2025. The Jakarta–Bali flight departed from Terminal 3 of Soekarno-Hatta Airport using SAF co-processed at Pertamina's Refinery Unit (RU) IV in Cilacap, which, according to CNBC Indonesia, contained a 2.5% share of used cooking oil (UCO).

Pertamina describes the product as the first SAF developed in Indonesia to meet the international jet fuel quality standard DefStan 91-091. The company also claims Pertamina SAF is the first in Southeast Asia to be made from used cooking oil and used on a commercial flight.

Produced by co-processing at the Cilacap refinery

According to Investor Trust, Pertamina's SAF is made using co-processing, in which kerosene and used cooking oil are refined together in the same unit. The process uses the "Merah Putih" catalyst developed by Pertamina with a domestic catalyst maker. Co-processing allows plant-based feedstock to be handled in existing refinery equipment without building a separate plant. Technical terms like these are explained in the Media Biodiesel glossary.

Pertamina President Director Simon Aloysius Mantiri, as quoted by Warta Ekonomi, said the company's SAF can cut carbon emissions by up to 84% compared with conventional jet fuel, based on Pertamina's own testing. The figure is a company claim, and the methodology was not detailed in coverage of the launch.

ISCC CORSIA and EU RED certification

Certification matters because it determines whether SAF can be used and claimed on international flights. According to Katadata, Pertamina SAF holds International Sustainability & Carbon Certification (ISCC) under CORSIA, the carbon offsetting and reduction scheme for international aviation run by the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO). The certificate covers the whole chain, from used cooking oil collection and refinery production to SAF transport and distribution. The product is also said to be certified under the European Union's Renewable Energy Directive (RED).

Simon said the certification shows Pertamina SAF is ready for international flights. He also claimed Pertamina is the only company in ASEAN to have built a complete upstream-to-downstream SAF ecosystem.

Expansion plans: Dumai, Balongan and oil collection

Pertamina plans to replicate used-cooking-oil SAF production at its RU II Dumai and RU VI Balongan refineries, according to Katadata and Investor Trust. To secure feedstock, Pertamina Patra Niaga will expand collection of used cooking oil from the public, which the company expects to create local circular-economy opportunities.

On the demand side, Pertamina SAF will be pushed mainly through Pelita Air, then gradually extended to international flights. Pertamina President Commissioner Mochamad Iriawan, as quoted by Warta Ekonomi, said he hoped other airlines besides Pelita Air would use the fuel so that Indonesia could eventually export it. Pertamina Vice President Director Oki Muraza said Indonesia's used cooking oil potential is very large and set a goal for the country to become an SAF production hub for ASEAN.

The special flight was attended by officials including Presidential Chief of Staff A.M. Putranto, Deputy Foreign Minister Arif Havas Oegroseno, Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources (ESDM) Secretary General Dadan Kusdiana and the Transport Ministry's Director General of Civil Aviation, Lukman F. Laisa.

Passengers noticed no difference

CNBC Indonesia reported that several passengers on the inaugural flight said they noticed no meaningful difference from flying on conventional jet fuel. Pertamina's Director of Business Transformation and Sustainability, Agung Wicaksono, called the flight a historic milestone that must continue.

As of the launch, Pertamina had not disclosed production volumes or refinery capacity for used-cooking-oil SAF, including how much used oil would need to be collected to supply flights on a regular basis.