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

Looking to change the way aviation fuel is bought and sold, JetFuel Direct (JFD) has entered the market with the debut of its digital platform product. According to the company, which launched last year, its platform simplifies complex fueling procedures for business aviation, regional carriers, and cargo haulers with transparency and efficiency that benefits companies on both sides of the transaction.
“Aviation fuel has lacked the clarity and balance that both suppliers and operators deserve,” said JFS co-founder and president Dave Diulus, a veteran of the aviation fueling industry. “Our platform gives suppliers stronger tools and faster settlement, while operators gain a straightforward, reliable way to manage fuel purchases.”
JFD offers suppliers faster cash flow with settlement in 48 hours; control over pricing with flexibility by location, date, and volume uplift; and forecasting and budgeting support through integrated analytics.
For operators, benefits would include simplified fueling procedures and predictable uplift costs. The system provides transparent pricing, referenced against Platts market values rather than retail numbers, and gives detailed breakdowns of into-plane charges, taxes, and fees at the airport level.
“Operators want a straightforward, predictable process, and suppliers want to know they’re pricing fairly and getting paid quickly,” Diulus told AIN. “We’ve built a platform that does both. It makes every uplift faster, clearer, and easier to manage.”
The company will concentrate its initial efforts in Europe, where interest in streamlining fueling logistics has been strong. Later this month, it will demonstrate the system and meet with suppliers at the IATA Aviation Energy Forum in Mexico City.

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

JetFuel Direct Launches Fuel Purchase Platform

Company will initally focus on the EMEA market.

JetFuel Direct looks to make the aviation fuel purchasing process simpler and more transparent.

2024 Corporate Aviation Leadership Summit

Charles Alcock

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

Issues regarding financing of aircraft; aviation insurance; tax issues for aircraft operators; new companies and people in the aviation financing and insurance industries.

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.

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.

Carbon Tracker urges investment in electric propulsion for short-haul flights

Report Sees Minimal Role for SAF in Cutting Emissions

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

Local company Fabrum is partnered with electric aircraft developers AMSL Aero and Stralis

Hydrogen Fuelling Now On Tap At New Zealand's Christchurch Airport

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.

In 2024, 0.6% of all aviation fuel supplied in the European Union was SAF

EASA Publishes First Report On SAF Use In Europe

Charlotte Bailey

Company intends to turn carbon dioxide from air into electro-synthetic sustainable aviation fuel

Airco’s e-SAF Facility To Validate Scalable Technology

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

A Series B funding round raised $28 million for the Oxford University start-up

Airlines and Safran Back New SAF Production Process

Kerry Lynch

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

Company focusing on unbranded FBOs and agriculture

Creed Fuels Expands into Aviation To Serve Rural Ops

Amy Wilder

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 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.

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Daher Climate Policy Aims at Paris Goals

Company targets emissions, SAF, supplier engagement

Analyst: World Jet Fuel Market To Double by 2032

Sustainability and crude oil supplies are expected to be major factors

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