Reedley Municipal Airport Advances $2.9M Fuel Farm Replacement, Adding Unleaded Avgas
Why It MattersSmall public airports are starting to rebuild fuel infrastructure around unleaded avgas ahead of the FAA's end-of-2030 target for eliminating leaded fuel, with flight schools among the first to need it.
Reedley Municipal Airport in California is moving toward offering unleaded aviation gasoline as the city advances plans to replace its aging fuel storage infrastructure. On Jan. 13, city council members voted to appropriate more than $2.9 million from several grants and the airport's own budget for the Aviation Fuel Facility Replacement Project, including a recently awarded $1.4 million Measure C grant. Other identified sources are more than $1 million from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), $25,486 from Caltrans and $374,514 from the airport's enterprise account.
The project comes as the FAA works with the aviation industry to eliminate leaded aviation gasoline by the end of 2030. The city began seeking funding in October 2024. Plans call for three new 12,000-gallon aboveground storage tanks: one for Jet-A, one for low-lead aviation gasoline that can later be converted to unleaded fuel, and one for unleaded aviation gasoline. The airport currently uses underground tanks for Jet-A and low-lead avgas, which require costly monthly inspections and are half the size of the proposed tanks.
Community Services Director and Airport Manager Sarah Reid described the project's progress as a "roller coaster," citing prolonged discussions with the FAA and rising construction costs, and said another funding item is expected to come before the council soon. City officials acknowledged the airport's contribution would likely deplete its enterprise account; Mayor Matthew Tuttle said the city needed to have "skin in the game." The facility is also expected to benefit Reedley College's Flight Science Program, whose fleet of five Skyleader aircraft is creating a growing need for unleaded fuel.
