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

While the roster of feedstocks utilized for sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) continues to grow, one of the most ubiquitous and intriguing being explored by a UK company is sewage. Gloucestershire-based Firefly Green Fuels has developed a process to turn human waste into SAF.
A 20-year veteran of the biofuels industry, company CEO James Hygate set out to find a low-value, abundant feedstock to use in SAF production. “Globally, sewage is a material in constant production; it's an unavoidable byproduct of human existence,” he told AIN.
“We know that in many places this sewage is already processed, leaving a tricky-to-dispose final product known as sewage sludge or biosolids. In the UK, we are engaged in very productive talks with utility companies who are excited about the potential of our technology to take this problematic waste product off their hands.”&nbsp;&nbsp;
Using a new process, Firefly Green Fuels has successfully produced samples of SAF from sewage sludge and expects to submit its pathway to ASTM International, the international standards organization, by year-end.
“It's hard to say for certain how long the process will take, but we're reliably informed that it'll take at least a year to get a green light,” said Hygate, adding that the fuel will be considered a drop-in fuel and will be usable in existing infrastructure. Studies have demonstrated that Firefly's pure SAF can provide 90 percent lifecycle carbon emissions savings compared to traditional fossil-based fuels, but like all other SAFs—currently, at least—it will require blending with conventional jet fuel for use.
The company has calculated that each person produces enough raw waste to make slightly more than one gallon of SAF a year. As an example, a typical large-cabin business jet will burn 3,500 gallons of fuel during a transatlantic flight. “Whilst there isn't nearly enough waste for this solution to power every flight in the world, we can make a significant impact towards reducing the aviation industry's fossil fuel dependency,” Hygate noted.
The company’s plans call for its first commercial plant to come online before the end of the decade. It will be able to convert 1 million tonnes of biosolids into 43,000 tonnes of SAF, along with other byproducts. “Once this hurdle has been overcome, we expect interest in our solution to massively expand, and we foresee significant global growth from 2030 onwards,” Hygate stated.
Aside from establishing a new pathway for SAF production and contributing to the aviation industry's sustainability, the company views its process as a potential lever for wider environmental, social, and economic change.
“By implementing our technology in global locations where, for example, raw sewage is currently discharged into waterways, we will support significant improvements in biodiversity and public health,” said Hygate. “Our solution could also be seen as a route towards energy independence for countries that currently rely on fuel imports to fly their jets.”

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

UK Company Creates SAF from Sewage

The process leverages an abundant 'problem' feedstock

The roster of feedstocks utilized for sustainable aviation fuel continues to grow. One of the most intriguing, which a UK company is exploring, is human waste.

2024 Corporate Aviation Leadership Summit

Charles Alcock

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.

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Manufacturer says solar power is part of efforts to reduce environmental footprint 

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

Green Flyways initiative is considering the potential for MD Aircraft's eViator commuter

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News, issues, personnel, equipment and developments about air traffic management.

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.

UK’s ‘Operation Blue Skies’ to redirect commercial traffic in Shanwick airspace

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Argus Releases Sustainable Aviation Fuel Evaluation Tool

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

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

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Cristofer Slotoroff

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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