Operators of light aircraft in Russia have begun testing automobile gasoline as a substitute for aviation fuel as supplies tighten and prices rise across the country’s general aviation sector. According to Russian news outlet Kommersant, aviation gasoline is available only at major airports – through partners in Ufa and Volgograd – leaving operators in most other regions to carry fuel in special containers or rely on private flying clubs.JOIN US ON TELEGRAMFollow our coverage of the war on the @Kyivpost_official. The availability of aviation gasoline, according LightAir CEO Dmitry Toropov, “has always been bad, but now it is getting worse.” Against this backdrop, Russia’s An-2 Operators Association has submitted a proposal to the Transport Ministry calling for state regulation of prices for both jet fuel and aviation gasoline. Fuel costs squeeze small aviation With Ukraine’s continuous strikes on Russia’s oil infrastructure, Russia has decided to restrict jet fuel exports from June 1 through Nov. 30 in an attempt to stabilize the domestic market, but wholesale prices have reportedly continued to climb. Association president Vladimir Antonov warned that fuel costs account for a larger share of expenses at small aviation companies than at major passenger carriers, further worsening flight economics and reducing demand for their services. “The situation is not yet critical, but it is moving in that direction,” said Vadim Tsyganash, executive director of the Aviation Work Association. “Within a month, the issue will become acute,” he added, noting that forest fire aviation beyond the Urals has only one to one-and-a-half months of fuel reserves remaining.