Federal Aviation Administration

National Part 139 CertAlert

**Advisory**Cautionary**Non-Directive**Advisory**Cautionary**Non-Directive**Advisory**Cautionary**Non-Directive**

Date: 9/13/2023 No. 23-07

To: Airport Operators, FAA Airport Certification Safety 

Inspectors, ARFF Departments and Mutual Aid Providers

Subject: Availability of Fluorine Free Foam (F3) on the Navy’s Qualified Products 

List (QPL)

Point of Contact: Marc Tonnacliff or Jim Price AAS-300, 202-267-8732 

Email: marc.tonnacliff@faa.gov

 jim.price@faa.gov

1. Purpose. The purpose of this CertAlert is to:

a. Notify Part 139 airports and industry there are F3 foam(s) that currently meet Military

Specification (MIL-SPEC) that can now be used on Part 139 airports.

b. Alert readers that the Naval Sea Systems Command (NAVSEA) has begun populating their

Quality Product List (QPL) web page with approved F3 concentrates. See QPD Search

(dla.mil) .

c. The Navy will continue to update the QPL as additional products are qualified.

2. Background.

a. The FAA’s William J. Hughes Technical Center, the Naval Research Lab, and the Air Force

Civil Engineer Center researched F3 to assist in the development of a new military

performance standard for aircraft firefighting. The result of several years of research and

testing is the new Military Specification MIL-PRF-32725, Fire Extinguishing Agent,

Fluorine-Free Foam, dated January 12, 2023.

b. On January 12, 2023, the FAA announced to airports it will accept the airport operator’s use

of an F3 extinguishing agent at Certificated Part 139 airports once the agent passes the

military performance standards (MIL-PRF-32725) and has been added to the Navy’s

Qualified Products’ List (QPL)/ Qualified Products’ Database (QPD). (See Part 139

CertAlert 23-01: New Military Specification for Performance-Based Standards for FluorineFree Aircraft Fire Fighting Foam).

c. At this time, the FAA is not requiring Certificated Part 139 airports to transition to MILPRF-32725 foams. They may continue using AFFF listed on the QPL for MIL-F-24385, Fire
FAA Part 139 CertAlert No. 23-07

9/13/2023

2

Extinguishing Agent, Aqueous Film Forming Foam (AFFF) Liquid Concentrate, for Fresh 

and Seawater.

d. On May 8, 2023, the FAA coordinated with DoD, the Environmental Protection Agency, and 

industry partners to produce the Aircraft Firefighting Foam Transition Plan to assist airports 

who transition to F3 foams. The Plan is located on the FAA’s F3 Transition webpage: 

Fluorine-Free Foam (F3) Transition for Aircraft Firefighting.

3. Additional Guidance. 

a. Certificated Part 139 airport operators are reminded that F3 concentrates lack mixing 

compatibility with other F3 and AFFF concentrates. Further, F3 should never be mixed with 

water in vehicles or in storage tanks. F3 cannot be used as a premixed solution.

b. It is acceptable for Part 139 airports to use both types of foam (AFFF and F3) until the airport 

is able to fully transition over to F3. Research has not shown any negative effects of using 

both foams on a fire.

c. The FAA will continue to provide more information on the F3 Transition webpage as it 

becomes available.

_________________________________ __9/8/2023_______

Birke Rhodes, Manager Date

Airport Safety and Operations Division, AAS-300