Colorado’s Centennial Airport Leads Unleaded Aviation Fuel Initiative with $300,000 Grant Approval

Colorado’s Centennial Airport secured approval for a $300,000 grant aimed at supporting a subsidy program for unleaded aviation fuel sales.

The initiative aims to incentivize the switch from leaded to unleaded aviation fuels by offsetting the higher costs of the new unleaded fuel by reimbursing pilots for the price difference. The move comes as the airport strives to proactively address community concerns over lead.

Local officials and environmentalist groups applauded the decision. In a June 13 press release, Rep. Kyle Brown, who sponsored the bill enabling this funding, said, “With this grant, Centennial Airport and Arapahoe County will continue to lead the way in transitioning towards unleaded fuel. I encourage airports across Colorado to follow Centennial's lead in applying for this new funding."

In May 2023, Centennial Airport became the first in Colorado to offer unleaded aviation fuel. Stakeholders say the subsidy program shows promise as 80% of the training aircraft operating on the field are certified to safely use the 94 octane unleaded aviation fuel. Meanwhile, an airport spokesperson said that a year after its introduction, Swift UL94 unleaded aviation fuel accounts for 23% of all avgas sales at Centennial Airport.