Update Triggers Questions on Unleaded Avgas Progress

GAMA hosted the EAGLE roundtable, bringing together stakeholders looking for more transparency and urgency.

Tuesday, June 06, 2023 at 03:05 PM ET

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The purpose of EAGLE is to chart the safe and smart transition to an unleaded future for the entire general aviation fleet. [File photo: Shutterstock]

Key Takeaways:

The general aviation industry faces urgent pressure to replace leaded avgas by 2030, driven by the EAGLE initiative and an impending EPA ruling, with stakeholders demanding greater transparency regarding new fuel recipes and approval processes.
Four candidate unleaded fuels are in development, pursuing either the FAA's PAFI/ASTM consensus standards or proprietary supplemental type certificate (STC) pathways, though none are yet widely available for the high-octane fleet.
Industry leaders emphasize that new fuels must address critical factors beyond just octane, including toxicity, materials compatibility, stability, vaporization, density, and fuel control adjustments, requiring comprehensive testing and transparency.
There is concern that communities might prematurely ban leaded avgas following the EPA ruling before a commercially viable and approved unleaded alternative is readily available, stressing the need for a methodical and transparent transition plan to prevent disruptions.

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The clock ticks louder each week, it seems, as pressure grows to move forward with a viable replacement for the primary unleaded avgas in use in the general aviation fleet. And we need more transparency on the process—and the very recipes for the fuels in question—according to industry leaders.

To focus a lens on the issue—and compel critical questioning to the process—the General Aviation Manufacturers Association on Monday hosted a roundtable of stakeholders to the EAGLE (Eliminate Aviation Gasoline Lead Emissions) initiative to give an update on how things stand. The initiative seeks a complete replacement of leaded fuel by no later than 2030, with a sunsetting of the fuel while maintaining a high level of safety in GA operations, which it primarily affects.