OPENING LINES WORKING TO ALLEVIATE ALASKA’S AVGAS ANXIETY Source: https://nbaa.org/ News Editor, First Published March 17th, 2025 As part of its goal to achieve net-zero carbon emissions by 2050, the aviation industry is working to find and implement a replacement for 100 lowlead fuel.The uncertainty of what that final solution will look like is causing apprehension among Alaska’s business aircraft operators. At the recent 2025 Alaska Air Carriers Association Convention, the two sessions that received the most attention – at least from piston-engine aircraft operators – were the EAGLE (Eliminate Aviation Gasoline Lead Emissions) presentation and the Alaska Unleaded Avgas Transition Forum. Unlike most of the U.S., where freight carriers primarily operate turbine-powered aircraft, the need to operate from many of Alaska’s shorter, unimproved runways requires the use of a variety of pistonengine aircraft, ranging from small Piper Super Cubs to large cargo DC-3s and -6s. “Alaska is totally unique in business aviation due to its strong dependence on piston-engine aircraft,” explained Phil Derner, NBAA director, Western region. “A significant majority of the rural villages don’t have any access by road, so everything they need for daily life must be delivered by ‘air mail.’ Any disruption would have catastrophic effects.” “Alaskan aircraft operators view the EAGLE initiative as a proactive, problem-solving effort aimed at finding a safe, reliable, and cost-effective replacement for 100 low-lead before it becomes unavailable,” said Will Day, executive director of the Alaska Air Carriers Association. “Without a dependable source of avgas, many Alaskans would lose their only access to numerous critical services, including medical care, groceries, and mail.” While many wish the solution to be a drop-in 100LL replacement, it’s not that simple. With the wide array of engine types in use throughout Alaska, operators are worried that whatever the final replacement fuel is, it won’t be immediately approved for all these engine types. This is a common concern for operators of legacy aircraft. It is possible that these engines will not achieve optimal performance on a new fuel or may require expensive modifications to achieve the required performance and reliability requirements. “To provide an alternative in Alaska, the candidate fuel must be thoroughly tested and approved to meet safety standards,” Day said.“Alaska is unique in its infrastructure. In many remote locations, aviation fuel is often stored for up to a year in temperatures 15 BUSINESS VIEW MAGAZINE VOLUME 12, ISSUE 03
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