Aviation Fuel Filtration Transition Accelerates: Parker Velcon Final Notice Marks the End of EI-Qualified SAP Monitor Production
The aviation fueling industry has entered the decisive final phase of its multi-year transition away from EI-qualified superabsorbent polymer (SAP)–based filter monitors. In its November 2025 Filter Monitor FINAL NOTICE, Parker Velcon confirmed that production of its CDF-2xxP EI 1583 7th edition monitor elements, along with its 5″ and 6″ ACO-series SAP elements, will cease on December 31, 2025. With this announcement, the last manufacturer producing EI-qualified SAP monitor elements has set a definitive end date for their availability.
This milestone follows earlier steps in the industry transition: FAUDI Aviation Americas exited SAP monitor production in 2020, and Facet Filters discontinued its EI 1583 7th edition monitors in 2023. While Facet has indicated that it intends to continue manufacturing FG-O-5xx and FG-O-6xx monitor-format elements, the company has advised customers that no EI filter qualification specification applies to these products.
With no new EI-qualified filter monitor elements being produced after 2025, and as detailed in previous editions of NATA News, refueling operators (both Avgas and Jet-A) must finalize and implement their transition plans without delay.
A Significant Impact on General Aviation
Parker Velcon’s inclusion of the ACO-series 5″ and 6″ SAP monitor elements in its Final Notice has an outsized impact on the GA community. These compact cartridges—used in widely deployed, single-element housings such as the VF-61, VF-62, VF-65, and VF-609—have served as final, into-plane filtration for Avgas systems, small Jet-A cabinets, and self-serve dispensers for decades.
GA operators relying on ACO-series elements must transition to non-SAP alternatives to ensure continued fuel cleanliness, operational continuity, and compliance with industry expectations.
EI 1587: The New Technical Roadmap for GA Filtration
The Energy Institute’s EI 1587: Recommended Practice for Single Cartridge Filtration Units for Aviation Fuel provides the clearest and most comprehensive reference for selecting replacement cartridge technologies in GA fueling systems. NATA also contributed technical expertise to the development of EI 1587 through its participation on the Energy Institute’s Aviation Fuel Filtration Committee.
NATA encourages all members to review Chapter 3, which includes:
- A full comparison of coalescers, water barriers, microfilters, and dirt defense filters
- A technology-selection decision tree for Jet-A and Avgas fueling (p. 21)
- Risk-management tables outlining the consequences of insufficient filtration (pp. 22–23)
- Guidance for converting legacy SAP monitor housings to compliant alternatives
For operators relying on single-element canisters, EI 1587 has become the primary industry roadmap for next-generation aviation fuel filtration and is available for free download here.
What NATA Recommends Now
- Audit all filtration systems immediately.
- For single-cartridge filtration units, consult EI 1587 and coordinate with your fuel supplier to determine an appropriate replacement technology aligned with your operation’s needs and risk profile.
- Confirm equipment compatibility—including housing type, rated flow, differential pressure gauge and water detection integration.
- Update SOPs and QC procedures to reflect the operational characteristics and safety requirements of non-SAP filtration technologies.