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

With aircraft operators experiencing extreme volatility in the fuel market,&nbsp;Avfuel&nbsp;(Booth D67) is promoting its price risk management program at EBACE as a&nbsp;hedge to provide some&nbsp;certainty.

 


The program was introduced in 2020 when the industry was experiencing unprecedented lows in fuel pricing. Avfuel realized those prices were unnaturally depressed due to the Covid-induced decline in travel. During this time,&nbsp;some petroleum refiners altered their output to produce higher-demand products such as diesel fuel. Since then, fuel costs have risen steadily, a function of both the resurgence of commercial and private aviation as well as the current geopolitical concerns. Recent predictions have called for crude oil pricing to exceed $125 a barrel over the coming months.

 


Using the company’s fixed forward pricing agreement, customers can contract for a fixed monthly quantity of fuel at a set&nbsp;price over a specified period, allowing them to ensure margins and provide accuracy in budgeting, with price stability for 12 to 36 months.

 


“It is expected to take a number of years for significant capacity to come online, relieving the strain on oil prices,” said Muneeb Ahmed, Avfuel’s director of trading and logistics, adding that while prices are high now, he anticipates further increases. “With a one-year fixed forward price agreement, Avfuel can actually offer its customers a fixed price that is below current market values, saving customers money while providing stability.”

 


The company also offers capped pricing agreements with no minimum volume commitments for one or two years. Under this model, customers will never pay more than their maximum agreed fuel price, even when the market surpasses it, and should the price dip below that, they will pay the lower amount.

 


Both programs can be extended to include carbon offsetting and sustainable aviation fuel to help operators satisfy their emissions reduction goals.

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

Amid Volatility, Avfuel Offers Fuel Pricing Peace of Mind

Avfuel is promoting its price risk management program at EBACE as a possible hedge against fuel cost volatility.

2024 Corporate Aviation Leadership Summit

Charles Alcock

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.

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

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.

Aéroports de la Côte d’Azur teams with hydrogen business jet developer 

Beyond Aero and French Airports Prepare for H2 Flights

Partners will prioritize applications in Brazil and the U.S.markets

Hitachi and Eve Team to Provide eVTOL Charging 

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.

Energy group supported flight pioneers in the 1920s

Air bp Marks Centennial of Aircraft Refueling Service

Chad Trautvetter

U.S. still relies on imported oil from Middle East for jet fuel

World Fuel: U.S. Jet-A Supply at ‘Critical Levels’

Amy Wilder

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.

All fuel types showed increases versus March

U.S. Aviation Fuel Prices Rise across the Board

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

EASA and Eurocontrol are considering measures to save aircraft fuel 

Safety Guidance May Prompt Shift in Fuel Tankering Rules

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

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.

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Beyond Aero and French Airports Prepare for H2 Flights

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Hitachi and Eve Team to Provide eVTOL Charging

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Air bp Marks Centennial of Aircraft Refueling Service

Energy group supported flight pioneers in the 1920s

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U.S. still relies on imported oil from Middle East for jet fuel

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Charter operators incur sharps spike in fuel costs

Aircraft Operators Face Imminent Jet Fuel Shortages Due to Iran War

The war with Iran is having lasting effects on aviation.

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