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

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

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 site will produce up to 165 million gallons of SAF a year

Neste Starts SAF Production at Rotterdam Facility

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.

The online feature helps streamline the SAF usage process

World Fuel Rolls Out SAF Book-and-claim Tool

Charles Alcock

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

Europe-based group says new feature is first of its kind in business aviation 

Luxaviation Adds Real-time Carbon Calculator to App

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

California FBO received the new truck last week

Avfuel Delivers First Fully Electric Jet Refueler

Kerry Lynch

AvfuelZero Portal houses all necessary documentation for SAF and carbon emissions reporting

Avfuel Launches Portal To Streamline SAF Documentation

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

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.

Airbus and 10 European partners have launched the PACIFIC program 

Study Targets Clarity for Mitigating Contrail Impact

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

More In Environment

Neste Starts SAF Production at Rotterdam Facility

The site will produce up to 165 million gallons of SAF a year

World Fuel Rolls Out SAF Book-and-claim Tool

The online feature helps streamline the SAF usage process

Luxaviation Adds Real-time Carbon Calculator to App

Europe-based group says new feature is first of its kind in business aviation

Avfuel Delivers First Fully Electric Jet Refueler

California FBO received the new truck last week

Avfuel Launches Portal To Streamline SAF Documentation

AvfuelZero Portal houses all necessary documentation for SAF and carbon emissions reporting

Study Targets Clarity for Mitigating Contrail Impact

Airbus and 10 European partners have launched the PACIFIC program

Airbus Doubles Down on Aviation Decarbonization Commitment

Aerospace and defense group partners with Solar Impulse Foundation

Signature Aviation To Add More European SAF Locations

FBO chain bringing sustainable aviation fuel to six of its FBOs in the UK and France

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