Brief
San Diego’s Montgomery‑Gibbs Airport still sells most leaded aviation fuel in the U.S.
The city‑owned airfield sold more leaded fuel in 2025 than any year in a decade, despite offering unleaded fuel since 2024.
By Felo News Desk · Published
Montgomery‑Gibbs Executive Airport in San Diego’s Kearny Mesa district remains the nation’s highest lead‑polluting general‑aviation airport, according to a New York Post report published on Oct. 18, 2026.
What happened
The airport began offering unleaded aviation fuel on Nov. 10, 2024, but pilots have purchased only about two dozen gallons of it since then. In contrast, more than 1 million gallons of leaded fuel passed through the same pumps in the most recent year, a volume that the outlet says exceeds any year in the past decade.
What the reports add
The Post notes that the airport’s master plan indicates over 93 % of its aircraft are piston‑powered and therefore require leaded fuel. Flight schools, such as Coast Air, account for a large share of the leaded fuel sales, with training flights conducting repeated touch‑and‑go drills that fly within two miles of more than 30 local schools.
What was said
Robert Germann, a longtime clean‑air advocate, told the outlet that city officials have failed to act while the problem worsens, urging a mandate for unleaded fuel use at businesses that profit from the airport.
How it came about
San Diego rolled out the unleaded option in 2024 as a step toward cleaner skies, but the EPA’s 2023 conclusion that emissions from leaded aviation gasoline endanger public health has not translated into local policy changes. Governor Gavin Newsom signed a state law banning leaded aviation fuel effective 2031, and the FAA’s EAGLE initiative targets 2030 for a nationwide phase‑out.
Key facts
- Montgomery‑Gibbs Executive Airport sold over 1 million gallons of leaded aviation fuel in the most recent year. (nypost.com)
- Pilots have purchased only about 24 gallons of unleaded fuel at the airport since it was introduced in Nov. 2024. (nypost.com)
- More than 93 % of aircraft at the airport are piston‑powered and require leaded fuel, according to the airport’s master plan. (nypost.com)
- Flight schools, including Coast Air, account for a large portion of leaded fuel sales and conduct training flights over 30 nearby schools. (nypost.com)
- Governor Gavin Newsom signed a state law banning leaded aviation fuel, set to take effect in 2031. (nypost.com)
Sources
- [1] nypost.com — originally reported as “San Diego’s Montgomery-Gibbs Executive Airport still using leaded fuel”
