EASA Validates Expanded FAA Approvals for Swift Fuels' 100R Unleaded Avgas in Europe
Why It MattersUnleaded avgas gains a regulatory foothold in Europe, but supply at only eight airports and the STC requirement confine near-term adoption to a narrow slice of piston operators.
The European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) has validated expanded FAA approvals for Swift Fuels' 100R unleaded aviation gasoline, allowing more piston aircraft and engines to use the fuel in Europe. Germany-based Swift Fuel GmbH announced the development in a press release last week.
The validation follows an earlier FAA supplemental type certificate (STC) expansion that extended the approved model lists to more than 1,600 aircraft models and 1,200 engine models. Swift Fuel GmbH said those approvals cover approximately 70% of FAA-approved aircraft types and now extend to corresponding EASA-certificated aircraft and engines. Operators must obtain the applicable supplemental type certificates before using 100R. "The EASA validation is the decisive step toward widespread use of Swift 100R in Europe," Managing Director Thomas Albuzat said in the company's announcement, translated from German.
Swift said 100R is currently available at eight airports across Germany, Austria, the Netherlands and Belgium. A public fueling station at Hildesheim Airport in Germany began operating in late September. Distributor Bollinger Aviation said the fuel is selling for slightly less than 100LL in its European market. Additional approvals for high-compression engines and aircraft, including Cirrus models, are expected in 2027, according to Swift Fuel GmbH, while Swift continues FAA testing of higher-performance piston engines in the United States. Aircraft owners can check eligibility and obtain European STCs through Swift's online portal.
