Naples Aviation at Naples Municipal Airport (KAPF) in Florida now offers 94 octane unleaded fuel (UL 94), making it one of three airports in Florida and the 35th airport in the country to offer the 100LL alternative, according to airport officials.
But in something different, on May 18, 2023, the Naples Airport Authority (NAA) Board of Commissioners unanimously approved incentives to offset the higher cost of UL 94 at the Naples Airport. The subsidies cut the cost of UL 94 nearly in half, making it equal in price to leaded aviation gasoline.
In addition, the airport will offer eligible aircraft based at Naples a $250 one-time credit to complete the FAA required certification for the unleaded STC.
According to an airport spokesman, the airport will sell UL 94 to tenants at the cost of traditional avgas “despite its much higher cost.”
Currently, tenants pay $5.13 per gallon (the same as traditional avgas) compared to the full cost of $9.89, he noted.
Between the fuel subsidies and STC credit, the airport’s board of commissioners has approved more than $180,000 in incentives to promote the use of UL 94, airport officials reported.
“This is the right thing to do for aviation and our community. I commend our staff on proactively implementing a plan to safely offer UL 94 in less than four months from the time the board first raised the question,” said NAA Board Chair Kerry Dustin.
On June 9, the first aircraft was fueled with UL 94 at the airport.
“I am so excited about the Naples Airport Authority’s commitment to general aviation and the environment by now offering UL94 as a fuel option,” said aircraft owner and Naples resident Linda Sollars. “My engine actually prefers this from a maintenance point of view. I am exceptionally grateful for the ability to purchase unleaded fuel here in Naples.”
Traditional aviation gasoline will remain available at the Naples Airport since less than half of the light aircraft based at Naples can safely use UL 94, airport officials noted.
Airport officials recently completed laboratory testing on the airport and at several nearby downtown residences where no traces of lead or any other aviation fuel contaminates were found. More details on these test results, along with prior similar studies, are available at FlyNaples.com.
Despite this, the airport authority is committed to taking steps to reduce its environmental impact, including replacing golf carts, aircraft tugs, ground power units, and pickup trucks with zero-emissions electric equipment and vehicles, airport officials said. Several solar projects and an updated stormwater master drainage plan are also in the works, they added.
I called Reid Hillview airport in California. They only have ul94 available and charge $7.50 per gallon no subsidy.
Kent Misegades says June 14, 2023 at 5:32 am
This is a stunning admission that the boutique fuel UL94 is an abysmal failure.
No Kent – it’s not an admission, nor is it a true statement on your part.
There are two competing unleaded AvGas fuels I am aware of. Neither of them has had the 1-2 years expected roll out time to gear up the supply chain required to handle servicing of many of the 13,000+ airports. Over time, as leaded fuels are phased out = banned, and production of unleaded grows to replace it, prices will come down.
And you comment about fishing weight and wheel balancing lead is ignorant. For one thing solid led does not release/leach into the water and soil at as high a rate as lead particulate matter.
I’m pro aviation, and pro safer environment too. Have a nice day.
There’s no 100LL that’s shipped in a pipeline in the USA. It’s all trucked to the final destination as well.
This is a stunning admission that the boutique fuel UL94 is an abysmal failure. Worse yet, taxpayers are forced to underwrite the subsidies for a fuel that has no real demand other than to satisfy environmental extremists, most of whom would probably forbid private aircraft ownership if they could. There is probably far more lead in the waters and roadsides around Naples, from lost fishing lines and wheel weights, than might ever come from the dwindling portion of piston aircraft using Avgas and not already burning Mogas and Jet-A. What makes the image here hilarious is the aircraft type – a Sling HW powered by a Rotax 915, an engine designed to run on Mogas! In fact, that is the recommended fuel for it, not leaded Avgas and not UL94. A quick look at Pure-Gas.org shows there are 1088 gas stations in Florida that sell ethanol-free gasoline, aka Mogas. 13 of these are in Naples, five of which are very near this airport. According to Airnav, the average price of Mogas sold at airports in the South is $4.98, with the lowest $4.05 – without subsidies. Gas Buddy shows a Murphy station in Aracadia selling 92 AKI ethanol-free mogas for $4.39. Why would anyone put Avgas or UL94 in a Rotax, especially when the fuel for which is was designed, Mogas, is available at far more places than Avgas or UL94? If the enviros running Naples really cared about the environment and the cost of aviation, they would have found a supplier of Mogas and installed a low-cost, self-service fuel system for it. They would have recouped their investment quickly, reduced the use of leaded fuel, and saved pilots as well as taxpayers money.
I agree with the usefulness of supplying Mogas. A benefit of the 94UL would be that it may be available from an avgas supplier. This is a factor at several airports that I have contacted about Mogas in the past. Their issue was the airport insurance was though the fuel vendor. They would lose the insurance if they sold other fuel. Many pilot/owners don’t want to be carrying fuel as well and so use what’s at the airport. I have owned four airplanes only one needed 100 LL, one was certified with 73 Army which was an unleaded avgas.
100% on all counts
Where is all the money coming from for these wonderfully politically correct efforts?
“According to an airport spokesman, the airport will sell UL 94 to tenants at the cost of traditional avgas “despite its much higher cost.”
Currently, tenants pay $5.13 per gallon (the same as traditional avgas) compared to the full cost of $9.89, he noted.”
I thought that UL 94 is essentially 100LL minus the lead. If 100LL is selling for $5.13 per gallon, wouldn’t UL 94 be cheaper to produce than 100LL? I understand about the logistics of distribution adding cost but I’m not seeing how a product that is cheaper to make costs double?
Mostly it’s small-batch so the unit costs are higher. You don’t necessarily get to tag on to the refining for 100LL and ask for your fuel sans lead. Also, UL94 is generally trucked due to the small batches, not pipelined, so transport costs are quite a bit higher.
All avgas is trucked, so this is an invalid point.
The reason 100LL is trucked is because it has lead in it. No pipe line will allow a lead contaminate fuel in there pile line.