EAGLE Initiative
In February 2022, aviation and petroleum industry leaders and the FAA announced a new initiative that outlines how our country can safely eliminate the use of leaded aviation fuel by the end of 2030 without adversely affecting the existing piston-engine fleet. We have created a team named Eliminate Aviation Gasoline Lead Emissions (EAGLE). It is a government-industry partnership that also encompasses fuel producers and distributors, airport operators, communities that support general aviation airports, and environmental experts. Our work will focus on four pillars, each led by an industry or government expert:
- Develop Fuel Infrastructure and Access Viability
- Support Research, Development and Innovation
- Evaluate and Authorize Safe Fuels
- Establish Necessary Policies
We are Fully Committed to EAGLE’s Success
The EAGLE initiative is ambitious and comprehensive. Activity under all of the pillars started immediately with a stakeholders meeting in Washington, D.C. on March 16-17, 2022. See the materials below for details about the plan and the EAGLE partnership:
- FAA, Industry Chart Path to Eliminate Lead Emissions – news release
- Aviation Stakeholder Groups Commit to Lead-Free Aviation Fuels Transition – news release
- Industry Commitment to EAGLE
- EAGLE Background Information and FAQs
- Other materials include the NASEM report on reducing lead emissions, EPA regulations on lead emissions, and an EPA press release regarding emissions from piston-engine aircraft.
Government information about leaded and unleaded aviation fuel can be found on the FAA AvGas page, in an FAA letter to GA pilots and in the FAA Safety Briefing article, Looking at the Future of AvGas.
The Latest on Reid-Hillview Airport
In Santa Clara County, Calif., the FAA has outlined a path that would allow the airport to have safe lead-free operations. We continue to work with the county in efforts to reach a mutually acceptable implementation timeline to make this happen and we are looking at potential options.
Aviation remains the last source of lead emissions in transportation, and the FAA is committed to moving diligently and safely to a better future.