Airport Guide for Transitioning to Unleaded Aviation Gasoline

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has announced a proposed determination that emissions of lead from aircraft that operate on leaded fuel cause or contribute to air pollution that may reasonably be anticipated to endanger public health and welfare. The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and the aviation industry have set a goal and made a commitment to eliminate the use of leaded aviation gasoline (AvGas) by the end of 2030 without adversely affecting the safe and efficient operation of the existing piston-engine fleet. Achieving this goal will require airports to play a significant role, namely, taking steps to accommodate and offer unleaded AvGas while maintaining 100-octaine low-lead (100LL) availability. In early 2022, a government-industry partnership named Eliminate Aviation Gasoline Lead Emissions (EAGLE) was formed with a broad range of activities, including developing fuel infrastructure and access viability; supporting research, development, and innovation; evaluating and authorizing safe fuels; and establishing necessary policies. To complement the broad scope of the EAGLE initiative, a more focused research effort is also needed to help individual airports transition to unleaded AvGas in a manner that is safe, efficient, and cost-effective and that does not disrupt piston-engine activity. The objective of this research is to produce a primer, guide, tools, and resources to help airports conduct a safe and efficient transition to unleaded AvGas while maintaining continuity of service.  

• Record URL:
  http://apps.trb.org/cmsfeed/TRBNetProjectDisplay.asp?ProjectID=5401

Language

• English

Project

• Status: Active
• Funding: $500000
• Contract Numbers:

  Project 03-73

• Sponsor Organizations:

  Airport Cooperative Research Program

  Transportation Research Board
  500 Fifth Street, NW
  Washington, DC    20001

  Federal Aviation Administration

  800 Independence Avenue, SW
  Washington, DC  United States  20591
• Project Managers:

  Navarrete, Joseph

• Performing Organizations:

  Trinity Consultants, Inc

  Dallas, Texas  United States  75251
• Principal Investigators:

  Lyons, Jim

• Start Date: 20230419
• Expected Completion Date: 20240418
• Actual Completion Date: 0

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Aircraft; Aviation fuels; Best practices; Guidelines; Unleaded gasoline
• Subject Areas: Aviation; Energy; Vehicles and Equipment;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 01854686
• Record Type: Research project
• Source Agency: Transportation Research Board
• Contract Numbers: Project 03-73
• Files: TRB, RIP
• Created Date: Aug 15 2022 4:24PM