AAAE Joins New Initiative to Accelerate Transition to Unleaded Aviation Gasoline
February 23, 2022
This afternoon, AAAE (American Association of Airport Executives) joined the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and groups from the aviation and petroleum industries to announce the creation of the Eliminate Aviation Gasoline Lead Emissions (EAGLE) initiative, a public-private partnership between the federal government and industry stakeholders to transition to lead-free aviation fuel, known as avgas, for piston-engine aircraft by the end of 2030.
For decades, the general aviation (GA) industry has been focused on a smart transition toward an unleaded high-octane fuel that meets the needs of the entire GA fleet. So far, only low-compression engines can burn the unleaded fuels that are currently available. However, 75 percent of the total GA avgas consumption is by aircraft requiring 100-octane fuel, which presently can only be achieved with a lead-based additive.
The EAGLE initiative aims to tackle this challenge by concentrating on four pillars: regulatory and safety policy, unleaded fuel testing and qualification, research and development, and business infrastructure and implementation. While EAGLE will focus on accelerating ongoing efforts to produce a viable high-octane unleaded replacement, it will also work to maintain access to 100LL at GA airports during the transition.
FAA Administrator Dickson indicated that the initiative will result in the removal of 350 tons of lead each year from the environment and will be a transparent process involving the entire GA community. He also noted that one of FAA’s priorities will be to address the cost of unleaded avgas, which is a major area of concern. “This is a safe and practical path to a lead-free aviation system,” Dickson said. “We look forward to starting a new partnership with aviation stakeholders and the communities that hosts airports to achieve this important goal.”
Hauptli noted that “environmental stewardship is a high priority for airport executives, and AAAE is pleased to join with FAA and our partners in the general aviation industry to chart a path forward to a lead-free future for aviation fuel.”
“The EAGLE initiative sets a meaningful goal that will benefit the environment, public health, and the future of general aviation, which plays such an important role in communities across the country and to the national economy,” Hauptli added. “We look forward to working with the government and our industry partners to make the promises of EAGLE a reality.”
EAGLE stakeholders will convene on March 16 to select an executive director and leads for each of the initiative’s four pillars. For additional details, you can view FAA’s press release on the new initiative here.
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