GAO to Hear from Alaska Pilots on the Transition to Unleaded Avgas

The U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO) and the Alaska Airmen’s Association will host a public listening session on November 4, 2026, about the transition away from leaded aviation gasoline (100LL avgas). The shift is mandated across U.S. general aviation by 2032.

The session will take place in person and virtually from 1:30 p.m. to 3:30 p.m. local time at 4200 Floatplane Drive, Anchorage, Alaska.

Federal investigators are seeking firsthand feedback from pilots, aircraft owners, and commercial operators across the state. They want to understand how Alaska’s geography, remote communities, and complex fuel-distribution networks depend on 100LL.

Topics for discussion include:

• Current dependence on 100LL avgas
• Costs associated with the transition
• Potential effects on air access for remote communities
• The viability of unleaded fuel alternatives in Alaska’s extreme operating conditions

Alaska faces some of the country’s most complex challenges in transitioning to unleaded avgas. Many bush planes and remote airstrips rely on 100LL as their only fuel option. Findings from listening sessions like this will help shape federal policy and funding recommendations as the 2032 deadline approaches.

Pilots who cannot attend in person may participate virtually through the Alaska Airmen’s Association registration portal.

Source: General Aviation News — GAO Schedules Alaska Unleaded Avgas Listening Session