FAA Deputy Administrator Chris Rocheleau said during EAA AirVenture Oshkosh Thursday that the agency plans to issue a revised roadmap for the transition from 100LL to unleaded avgas. The FAA has not announced a new deadline and published materials continue to identify 2030 as the national target and 2032 as the target for Alaska.
“In the coming weeks we’re going to issue a new roadmap to kind of reset,” Rocheleau said.
He added that the FAA would not follow an arbitrary date unless it could ensure that replacement fuel placed in aircraft was safe.
Current Targets Remain
Congress directed the FAA through Section 827 of the FAA Reauthorization Act of 2024 to continue working toward the elimination of lead emissions from aviation gasoline by 2030. The agency published its draft transition plan in January. The framework covers fuel authorization and comparison testing, early market experience, a national transition and a later transition for Alaska.
The unleaded avgas transition plan would not immediately remove 100LL from airports. FAA guidance says federally obligated airports that made 100LL available during 2022 generally may not restrict its sale or self-fueling under Grant Assurance 40. Outside Alaska, that requirement remains until the earlier of Dec. 31, 2030, or the date a qualifying FAA-authorized replacement becomes available at the airport.
Approvals Continue To Expand
The FAA provides two authorization routes for unleaded avgas. Developers may use the traditional aircraft certification and supplemental type certificate process. Candidates may also pursue fleet authorization after evaluation through the Piston Aviation Fuels Initiative. GAMI’s G100UL has approved-model-list STCs covering a broad range of piston engines and airplanes. The LyondellBasell and VP Racing UL100E candidate remains in the PAFI evaluation process.
Swift Fuels has continued expanding the approved fleet for its 100R unleaded avgas. Earlier this month Swift announced an expansion of its engine STC and a later increase in approved engine and airframe lists. Swift said those approvals now cover more than 1,200 engine models and 1,600 airframes. The company also plans FAA testing on seven higher-performance engines that could support additional approvals for aircraft requiring greater detonation protection.
Certification represents one part of the unleaded avgas transition. Fuel producers must also establish production and distribution systems, while airports may need additional tanks, fuel trucks or dispensing equipment. Aircraft owners may need STCs, placards, flight-manual revisions or logbook entries before using a particular fuel.
Unleaded avgas testing must also address materials compatibility, maintenance requirements and the effects of mixing approved fuels.
The FAA has not disclosed what will change in the revised roadmap.
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