---
title: "ATA 103 Measurement Standard | Aethair"
description: "ATA 103 and EI 1581 are the standards that govern the cleanliness and filtration of aviation fuel as it moves through storage and into aircraft. ATA 103,…"
url: https://aethair.io/standards/ata_103/
---

Measurement method · ATA / EI

# ATA 103 / EI 1581: aviation fuel filtration and differential pressure

ATA 103 and EI 1581 are the standards that govern the **cleanliness and filtration of aviation fuel** as it moves through storage and into aircraft. **ATA 103**, from Airlines for America, sets the requirements for how airport fuel-handling facilities store, filter, and quality-control jet fuel to keep it free of water and particulate contamination. **EI 1581**, from the Energy Institute, specifies the performance and qualification of the filter-water separators and filter monitors that do the cleaning. Together they define how fuel is kept clean from the refinery gate to the aircraft wing.

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At a glance

**ATA / EI** Measurement method

1 parameter

[Fluid Differential Pressure](https://aethair.io/parameters/differential_pressure_fluid/)

[Official text from ATA / EI](https://www.energyinst.org/)

The standard

## What ATA 103 and EI 1581 Are

A central control common to both is monitoring the **differential pressure** across each filter vessel (the drop in pressure between its inlet and outlet), because a rising differential pressure signals that the filter element is loading with contaminant and approaching the point where it must be changed.

Who uses it

## Who Uses It

Airport fuel-farm operators, into-plane fueling companies, refuelers, and the oil companies and airlines responsible for aviation-fuel quality all work to ATA 103 and EI 1581. Fuel-quality and maintenance staff use them to run filtration, sampling, and record-keeping, and equipment makers build filter-water separators and filter monitors to the EI qualification. Because water or particulate contamination in jet fuel is a flight-safety hazard, compliance is a non-negotiable part of aviation-fuel handling worldwide.

Monitoring

## How It Relates to Monitoring

The practical heartbeat of these standards is **differential-pressure monitoring** across filtration vessels. A gauge or transmitter measures the pressure drop across the filter, corrected for flow rate. A rising trend toward the vessel's differential-pressure limit shows the element is loading and must be changed, while a sudden drop can warn of a ruptured element. Continuous differential-pressure logging turns a periodic manual check into a live condition signal, so filters are changed on evidence rather than guesswork. This is complemented by the water and particulate checks the standards also require, so fuel cleanliness is confirmed by both filter condition and direct sampling.

Devices

## Instruments Built to ATA 103

Instruments in the sensor catalog that follow this method. Each connects to Environet through a Thiamis gateway.

Instruments built to it

[**Parker Velcon FDPM** Fluid & Fuel Quality](https://aethair.io/sensors/parker-velcon-fluid-fuel-quality/)

Solutions

## Solutions That Rely on ATA 103

### [Hydraulic & Fuel Cleanliness](https://aethair.io/solutions/industrial-fluids/)

ISO 4406 oil cleanliness and aviation fuel

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Questions

## ATA 103 FAQ

Why is differential pressure monitored across a fuel filter?

As a filter element captures contaminant it becomes harder for fuel to pass through, so the pressure drop across it rises. Tracking that differential pressure shows how loaded the filter is and when it must be replaced, while an abnormally low reading can indicate a failed or bypassed element.

What contaminants are ATA 103 and EI 1581 protecting against?

Chiefly free water and solid particulates in jet fuel, both of which threaten flight safety: water can freeze at altitude or foster microbial growth, and particles can damage fuel-system components. The standards' filter-water separators and filter monitors are designed to remove both.

How do ATA 103 and EI 1581 fit together?

ATA 103 sets the overall fuel-quality-control requirements for airport fuel-handling facilities, while EI 1581 specifies and qualifies the filtration equipment used to meet them. In practice a compliant facility follows ATA 103's procedures using EI 1581-qualified filters and monitors.

How do I monitor fuel filtration?

Fit differential-pressure transmitters across each filter vessel and log the readings continuously so that loading trends and sudden changes are visible, alongside the required water and particulate checks. Use the configurator to build a differential-pressure monitoring configuration for your filtration vessels.