FAA wants to wean private airlines off leaded fuel

{mosads}Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood said on Monday that developing an alternative to AvGas was a critical step toward reaching that goal.

“General aviation is vital to the U.S. economy and is an important form of transportation for many Americans,” LaHood said in a statement. “We need to work with industry to develop an unleaded fuel that advances aviation safety and improves the environment.” 

The deadline for submissions to the FAA is July 1, 2014. The FAA said it will then select 10 potential suppliers of the new unleaded fuel to test up to 10,000 gallons of gas.

FAA Administrator Michael Huerta said the agency would be working with the noncommercial aviation industry and other agencies in the Obama administration on the development of the unleaded private airplane fuel.

“The FAA knows the general aviation community and the Environmental Protection Agency are focused on this issue, and we look forward to collaborating with fuel producers to make an unleaded avgas available for the general aviation fleet,” Huerta said in a statement.