A lifelong aviation enthusiast who joined&nbsp;AIN&nbsp;in 2007, Curt came to&nbsp;the publication&nbsp;from the broadcast industry where he was a national science and technology television reporter and producer. He writes on the FBO field, aviation finance, and sustainable aviation and occasionally contributes to&nbsp;AIN&nbsp;sister publication&nbsp;Business Jet Traveler. Curt was a member of the AINtv reporting staff that won the 2008 Aerospace Journalist of the Year award for Best Airshow Daily. That same year, he was a finalist for another AJOYA award. He earned an AJOYA for Best Business Aviation Submission in 2018 and was a finalist in that category in 2021. He received the National Air Transportation Association’s&nbsp; Aviation Journalist Award in 2012 and won a Pegasus Sapphire Business Aviation Award for outstanding journalism in 2021.
Before joining AIN, Curt worked with&nbsp;Consumer Reports’ television division, CRTV, and for several local television news staffs. An honors graduate of the State University of New York at Stony Brook, he earned a master’s degree in broadcast journalism from Boston University in 1995. Curt lives in New York State with his wife and two young sons.

Senior Editor

Curt Epstein

Ahead of the opening of the annual World Economic Forum (WEF) in Davos, Switzerland, the Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) Coalition, which includes NBAA, EBAA, IBAC, NATA, and GAMA, arranged to have SAF&nbsp;delivered by Neste and available at Zurich Airport for the first time, to fuel departing aircraft. A press demonstration today featured a business jet being fueled with the blended SAF, which will be dispensed into the airport’s fuel supply to illustrate its drop-in Jet-A compatibility. Air BP is also offering SAF at Stockholm’s Arlanda Airport&nbsp;as an option for WEF-related flights.

 


“If you take a look at some of the demonstrations we’ve done with Van Nuys, with Farnborough, and now with Zurich Airport, I think the more places we can demonstrate that this is here, it’s available, [and] customers just need to ask for it, the more places we are going to see [SAF] turn up,” said Doug Carr, NBAA’s vice president for regulatory and international affairs. "With demand will come supply [and] a drop in price."

 


As well, operators heading to WEF from the U.S. can also partake in a new “book-and-claim” initiative, through Jet Aviation and World Fuel Services. Flights departing from the Jet Aviation FBOs at Teterboro, Hanscom, and Washington Dulles Airports can purchase virtual SAF and receive the credit for it, while the actual fuel will be dispensed to aircraft departing the Jet Aviation FBO at Los Angeles-area Van Nuys Airport. According to a Jet Aviation spokesperson, with SAF supply currently restricted, "Jet absorbs the cost of this for our customers at this time. As further supply becomes available and blend ratio’s increase we will review this with our customers."

 


For the aviation industry, the use of SAF is one of the key pillars in its quest to lessen its carbon emissions footprint, but as Carr explained, until battery technology reaches the point where it can supplant the use of fossil fuels, sustainable fuels represent one of the best measures available today to help address carbon emissions coming from not just from business aviation. "This has got to be a community effort, not just planes versus automobiles," he told AIN. "This has got to be a transportation industry focus in order to move the needle."

News about environmental issues relating to aircraft operations, including noise issues, emissisions, and regulations. See Fuel for biofuel.

SAF Makes Zurich Airport Debut Ahead of WEF

A demonstration to raise awareness of sustainable aviation fuel was held this morning at Switzerland's Zurich Airport ahead of the WEF in nearby Davos.

2024 Corporate Aviation Leadership Summit

News and developments about aviation fuel, including jet fuel, aviation gasoline, and biofuel.

News and issues relating to the aerospace industry that are related to the science, engineering and business of flight in space involving civil, industrial and military applications, and similar topics related to flight in the atmosphere of the Earth that are not covered more directly by other AINonline subject channels. In other words, both astronautical and aeronautical subjects, except for those aeronautical topics that are specifically covered elsewhere on this website.

The report sees the Midwest as a future hotbed of SAF production

Environmental Group Sees U.S. e-Fuel Potential

Kerry Lynch

News and issues relating to business, corporate and private aviation, primarily regarding turbine-engine-powered airplanes and helicopters. Subjects include aircraft, engines, maintenance, operations, personnel, acquisitions, accidents, safety, security, and training.

NBAA called a study suggesting business aviation emissions will need to be regulated 'misleading' 

NBAA Challenges Study Highlighting Bizav Emissions

NASA's Gulfstream G-III will use lidar technology to scan contrails of GE's Boeing 747

NASA and GE Plan Flight Tests To Study Contrails

Charles Alcock

News and developments about airplanes, helicopters and unmanned air vehicles used in all varieties of operations, including airlines, military, business, commercial, general aviation and private.

News and developments about aircraft engines, including turbofan, turboprop, turboshaft and piston.

News and issues relating to international air transport and cargo carriers, national airlines and regional airlines, including aircraft, engines, personnel, acquisitions, accidents, safety, security and training.

Project also includes Lockheed Martin Skunk Works, Honeywell Aerospace, and American Airlines, plus MIT and University of Michigan

NASA Contracts Electra for AACES Sustainable Airliner Program

New developments at airports including regulations and noise issues; legal disputes; openings, acquisitions and mergers.

New developments at FBOs including regulations and noise issues; legal disputes; openings, acquisitions and mergers.

4,000 solar panels have been fitted on buildings across the London-area facility

Solar Generates 25% of Farnborough's Electric Power

Matt Thurber

News and issues concerning general aviation, specifically airplanes and helicopters powered by piston and alternative engines (i.e., non-turbine powered aircraft). Subjects include aircraft, engines, personnel, acquisitions, accidents, safety, security and training.

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