Time to Get Serious About Unleaded Fuel

The EAGLE consortium needs to soar to the challenge now that the FAA and industry must move forward on its roadmap.

Julie Boatman

Thursday, October 26, 2023 at 02:58 PM ET

Verified

Candidate fuels are in various stages of progress, with at least one STC already approved. [Credit: Shutterstock]

Key Takeaways:

The EPA's endangerment finding on leaded avgas was an anticipated and welcomed regulatory step, formally initiating the General Aviation industry's committed transition to unleaded fuels under the Clean Air Act.
Several unleaded avgas candidates are actively being developed and tested, with some like GAMI G100UL having FAA STC approval, while others such as Swift Fuels and PAFI program fuels are also pursuing broader industry acceptance through ASTM consensus specifications.
Commercial viability, distribution network acceptance, and adherence to industry standards like ASTM specifications are critical alongside FAA approval for widespread adoption; new unleaded fuels are not expected to intermix with each other, and market factors, including price, will ultimately determine which solutions prevail.

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The general aviation industry expected last week’s release from the Environmental Protection Agency of the endangerment finding on leaded avgas. Thanks to a number of factors—including recent codification of leaded fuel reduction plans under the EAGLE (Eliminate Aviation Gas Lead Emissions) coalition—it feels like the finding was welcomed rather than feared.

Because of the way the U.S. government operates, particularly under the Clean Air Act of 1970, certain processes within the associated agencies, including the FAA, could not begin without the finding.