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.

Business Aviation Services Editor

Curt Epstein

A new report predicts the U.S. sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) market will grow to a value of $6.97 billion by the end of the decade. The study by management consultancy MarketsandMarkets appraised the value of the SAF market last year at under a billion dollars.
There are several processes for SAF production, including biofuels (using organic feedstocks, such as waste fats and oils), power-to-liquid (utilizing renewable electricity to produce SAF from synthesized “green” hydrogen and atmospheric carbon dioxide), and gas-to-liquid (converting natural gas to SAF).
Advancements in biofuel technologies and the fuel’s scalability in production are expected to support the increasing demand for SAF in the U.S. While biofuels have thus far dominated the market, the forecast indicates that the power-to-liquid segment is predicted to grow at the highest compound annual growth rate (CAGR) through 2030.
Conventional jet fuel contains aromatic compounds that help fuel system gaskets swell and prevent leakage, while synthetic fuels such as SAF do not. Modern aircraft and engines were designed to account for the lack of aromatics. As it is, SAF is presently only approved for use in blends of up to 50% with conventional jet fuel. Yet the study predicts that the above-50% blend (once approved) will account for the fastest-growing CAGR in the U.S. SAF market, with increased regulatory support and subsidies for higher blends driving the growth.

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

Study: U.S. Sustainable Aviation Fuel Market To Hit $7 Billion by 2030

Study predicts a nearly sevenfold growth 

A new study by MarketsandMarkets sees strong growth for the U.S. sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) market.

U.S. SAF Market To Hit $7 Billion by 2030

2024 Corporate Aviation Leadership Summit

Charles Alcock

News about commercial airlines, including regulations, aircraft orders, safety, acquisitions, and mergers.

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.

Report highlights lack of transparency and consistency in SAF requirements 

European Airlines Demand Changes to ReFuelEU Rules

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

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.

Partners aim to integrate more effective sensors on aircraft to measure contrail formation

Honeywell and Boeing Seek Improved Contrail Assessments

Charlotte Bailey

News about bills, laws, regulations and other governmental decisions affecting aviation and aerospace. Topics include FAA re-authorizations, taxes on fuel and aviation activities, environmental legislation, ICAO decisions, governmental mediation of labor conflicts and World Trade Organization disputes and decisions.

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.

Charter bookings for journeys from October will be subject to an upcoming surcharge

Singapore SAF Levy Targets Bizav Flight Bookings Next Month 

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 issues concerning the aviation charter and fractional-ownership industries and markets, including company announcements, regulations, new developments and labor issues.

Pan Européenne Air Service orders upcoming hybrid-electric aircraft 

Aura Aero Logs First Firm Order For Hybrid Regional Airliner

Hanneke Weitering

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

News and issues about aviation maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO), covering all segments of the aviation industry; and modifications for aircraft and engines. Subjects include product support of aircraft, engines and avionics, MRO company mergers, acquisitions, announcements and personnel, Airworthiness Directives, Supplemental Type Certificate approvals and other topics.

First supplemental type certificate for ‘Zero Engine Taxi’ expected in 2027

FAA Accepts ‘Zero Engine Taxi’ Certification Plan

Environmental research aircraft is set to be decommissioned 

Funding Pulled For UK’s Meteorological Airborne Laboratory 

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

Facility is expected to open in 2028

Work Starts on SkyNRG’s First SAF Production Facility

News and developments about everything that goes into the cabin of an aircraft, from floor coverings to headliners, with a special emphasis on in-flight entertainment, communications and other electronics for passengers. If it is in the cabin of an aircraft, it’s covered here.

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