FAA Continues To Stall On G100UL - AVweb

Just to bring you down to earth, avgas sales are in the range of 200 million gallons a year. Five or so refineries make it and it and the gross profits for all of them together is about $150 million. If you think it’s a $100B business, you’re wide by several magnitudes.

I think it’s delusional to think GAMI or Swift’s fuels will achieve monopolies with their 100-octane fuels. The example would be Swift’s 94UL. It’s carving out a tiny little market share. It won’t take off, if it ever does, until lead is gone. Maybe not even then.

GAMI will be in the same position. It will be selling a more expensive fuel against a cheaper leaded version. Chances of success are difficult at best and will rely on market preferences and AVfuel’s willingness to play the long game. What you’re arguing for is government market control by saying an STC fuel should not be approved because it might become a monopoly. Odd, don’t you think, stifling success with government regulation?

Chevron, Exxon and Phillips have had years to develop their own fuels and could have. It’s not that hard. The turbine mafia did it in short order with SAF.