FAA Selects Four Unleaded Fuels for Testing

Stephen Pope

Tuesday, September 09, 2014 at 09:31 PM ET

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Key Takeaways:

The FAA has launched the Piston Aviation Fuels Initiative (PAFI) to phase out leaded aviation gasoline, which is the last leaded transportation fuel in the U.S.
Four unleaded fuel candidates, submitted by Shell, Total, and Swift Fuels, have been selected for the initial phase of testing.
This first phase of laboratory and rig testing will begin this fall and last about a year, with the goal of selecting two or three fuels for further engine and aircraft testing.
The initiative aims to remove harmful lead from general aviation fuel, benefiting the environment and providing safe alternatives for approximately 167,000 general aviation aircraft.

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The FAA has selected four unleaded aviation fuels for testing at the William J. Hughes Technical Center in Atlantic City, New Jersey, for the first phase of a government and industry initiative to begin phasing out leaded aviation gasoline as early as 2018.

Shell and Total have each submitted one unleaded fuel for testing while Swift Fuels has created two candidate fuels. The companies will now work with the FAA on initial testing, which will start this fall and last about a year.