Understanding the Transition to Unleaded Aviation Gasoline: A Primer (2026)
Chapter: What Steps Do Airports Generally Have to Take to Provide Unleaded Aviation Gasoline?
regarding liability around fuel quality. Also, there may be potential concerns with regard to the safety of mixing Swift and GAMI unleaded fuels. Airports must also recognize that if 100LL was offered at an airport in 2022, it must continue to be available through the end of 2030. This requirement is established by the 2024 FAA Reauthorization Act. Therefore, to transition to unleaded aviation gasoline, an airport must be capable of supplying both 100LL and any unleaded aviation gasoline(s) it chooses to provide until the 100LL requirement ends.
What Steps Do Airports Generally Have to Take to Provide Unleaded Aviation Gasoline?
Although the specific actions and success factors of an airport’s transition to unleaded aviation gasoline may vary greatly, the high-level steps listed below generally apply to each airport’s transition. Suggestions and details regarding each step can be found in ACRP Research Report 284, which can be accessed by searching the National Academies Press (nationalacademies.org/publications) for ACRP Research Report 284: Transitioning to Unleaded Aviation Gasoline: A Guide and Tools.
- Communicate with fuel suppliers and fixed-base operators (FBOs).
Conduct initial communications with fuel suppliers and FBOs as appropriate to determine what types of unleaded aviation gasoline are available to the airport, which aircraft can use them, whether there are applicable ASTM International standards for the fuel, and if there are any compatibility issues associated with mixing each fuel with 100LL or other unleaded aviation gasolines. At airports with sponsor-owned FBOs, communications would be directly with fuel suppliers.
- Characterize the airport fleet for unleaded fuel compatibility.
Identify the aircraft in the airport’s fleet that can use the different types of unleaded aviation gasoline expected to be available at the time of transition and determine if they will require STCs.
- Estimate unleaded fuel demand and evaluate refueling infrastructure.
Analyze expected volumes of the available unleaded aviation gasoline(s) under consideration and determine whether they can be provided using existing airport fueling infrastructure while continuing to supply 100LL, or if new infrastructure and/or new fuel delivery methods are needed.
- Identify potential transition funding sources.
Determine whether funding is available from the FAA, state sources, sponsors, or other organizations to assist with infrastructure changes and/or to provide subsidies for the cost of the available unleaded aviation gasoline(s) and, if necessary, STCs.
- Perform financial analysis of transition options.
Use the information gathered in Steps 1 through 4 to assess the financial implications, such as potential revenues and costs associated with each unleaded aviation gasoline under consideration.
