The EAGLE Has Launched to Get Lead Out of Avgas

The initiative announced this week has been a long time coming for the GA industry.

Friday, February 25, 2022 at 09:06 AM ET

Verified

Leaders from the GA industry associations joined FAA Administrator Steve Dickson in pledging to support the EAGLE program at the GAMA press conference on Wednesday. [Photo: Julie Boatman]

Key Takeaways:

The General Aviation Manufacturers Association (GAMA) conference revealed the launch of the FAA-backed EAGLE (Eliminate Aviation Gas Lead Emissions) initiative.
EAGLE aims to achieve a lead-free general aviation fuel system by 2030, recognizing piston-powered aircraft as the largest remaining source of lead emissions in the U.S.
The initiative's strategy is built on four pillars: developing business infrastructure, advancing research and development for alternate fuels, ensuring rigorous fuel testing and qualification, and establishing necessary regulatory and policy frameworks.
This accelerated push for lead-free avgas, while an ongoing effort for over a decade, is significantly driven by Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) pressure and the increasing viability of alternative fuels.

See a mistake? Contact us.

For those attending the annual press conference held by the General Aviation Manufacturers Association (GAMA) on Wednesday at the National Press Club in Washington, D.C., the omission felt strange. How could a meeting of top leaders in the general aviation industry gather in early 2022 and not discuss the elephant in the room: the future of 100LL—and leaded avgas in general?

The meeting delivered GAMA’s 2021 shipments and billings report and updated the industry on the key challenges it faces in 2022: fuel, sustainability, workforce, and supply chain. Fuel—yes, sustainable aviation fuel was discussed, but not avgas, in the general session.