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

Hainan Airlines and All Nippon Airways (ANA) ranked first in overall fuel efficiency, both with an average fuel efficiency of 36 passenger-kilometers per liter of fuel (pax-km/L), according to a recently released study by the International Council on Clean Transportation (ICCT) on the 2016 fuel efficiency statistics for transpacific airlines. Qantas Airways ranked as the least fuel-efficient of the 20 airlines operating nonstop flights between the mainland U.S. and East Asia/Oceania, burning an average of 64 percent more fuel per passenger-kilometer than Hainan and ANA. According to the report, freight share was the most important driver of fuel efficiency overall, explaining almost half of the variation in airline fuel efficiency across carriers, followed by seating density.

 


The findings, based on Bureau of Transportation Statistics data compiled by Texas-based airline consultancy Airline Data Inc. (formerly Data Base Products) showed that Air New Zealand, EVA Air, and China Airlines (the latter two tied for fourth place) rounded out the top five fuel-efficient transpacific airlines. In its white paper, ICCT stated that there is an inverse relationship between aircraft size and fuel efficiency on transpacific operations. As aircraft weight, or maximum takeoff mass (MTOM), increases, fuel efficiency declines. It determined that this is predominantly because aircraft with four engines are generally less fuel-efficient than those with two.

 


ICCT is an independent nonprofit organization founded to provide technical and scientific analysis to environmental regulators. It has applied Airline Data’s analysis ﻿in the past, such as in its evaluation of the fuel efficiency of domestic U.S. carriers.

 


“Accurate, quality data empowers people and organizations throughout the industry to make informed business decisions,” said Jeff Pelletier, the company’s managing director. “Our data has been a trusted source of information for more than 30 years and we’re proud to be an ongoing part of ICCT’s fuel efficiency research program.”

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

Study Ranks Trans-Pacific Airline Fuel Efficiency

Hainan Airlines and ANA were found to be the most fuel efficient in terms of transporting passengers.

2024 Corporate Aviation Leadership Summit

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

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

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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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