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

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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) and FAA, alongside industry partners, launched the EAGLE (Eliminate Aviation Gas Lead Emissions) initiative.
The EAGLE program sets an ambitious target to achieve a lead-free general aviation system by 2030.
The initiative is structured around four pillars: business infrastructure, research and development, unleaded fuel testing/qualification, and regulatory/policy changes.
This push for lead-free avgas, long overdue and driven by environmental concerns, is backed by major industry associations and is considered achievable with current and emerging fuel alternatives.

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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.