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

Global industry fuel provider Avfuel (Booth 2424)&nbsp;is planning an overhaul for its Avtrip loyalty program, taking it into the digital age starting next year. For the nearly three and half decades of the program’s existence, loyalty rewards were mailed to program members. That will change in the first quarter next year, when Avtrip members can choose to cash out their accrued rewards either with a debit push to the recipient in real-time&nbsp;or by payout through PayPal.

 


Either method will remove the need for any physical form of payment such as a check or gift card. Aside from an initial account setup, award redemption will continue to be completely automatic for the rewards program, according to Avfuel.

 


“Our team is continuously assessing our offerings to discover where efficiencies can be leveraged and how they can be adapted in a more sustainable way,” said &nbsp;Avfuel&nbsp;v-p of marketing&nbsp;Marci Ammerman. "After exhaustive testing, we’re ready to make the industry’s most efficient and rewarding program even more efficient by leveraging modern technologies for annual payouts. We anticipate the extensive preparations we’ve undergone for this transition will result in a smooth process for our members and a successful update in time for the 2023 awards.”

 


After adding 22 branded FBOs to its network over the past year, Avfuel is attending NBAA-BACE this week in Orlando, Florida, and has brought 24 co-exhibitors&nbsp;representing 71 Avfuel-branded fueling locations. Avtrip members who visit the company’s booth and flash their card will receive 1,000 bonus points.

 


The Ann Arbor, Michigan-based company began operations in 1973, as a small regional fuel provider, with three employees supplying the Michigan region. As Avfuel approaches its 50th anniversary, it has evolved into a worldwide aviation fuel distributor with a staff of more than 1,000.

 


“When we leapt&nbsp;onto the market, no one was doing what we set out to do,” said Avfuel president and CEO Craig Sincock. “We didn’t know we shouldn’t compete with the major oil companies who were the aviation fuel suppliers of the time. Maybe it wasn’t the best business plan but it worked.”

 


Sincock credits the company’s growth to listening to the customers and developing solutions to meet their needs, adding it was the first fuel supplier to offer a complete suite of services that surround the fuel. The innovations that Avfuel introduced, such as pilot rewards and contract fuel for corporate flight departments, are now industry standards, leading it to search for new innovations. “We’re constantly looking for new ways to push the envelope,” said Sincock. “New ways to lead the industry and add value to the fuel supplier partnership.”

 


Also at the show, Avfuel and Sheltair announced the inaugural recipient class of their Future Takes Flight Scholarship Program, which was launched earlier this year. Six winners each received a $5,000 award to pursue career advancement through educational opportunities. The window for next year’s round of $30,000 in scholarships opens again in December.

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

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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 this article

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

Hitachi and Eve Team to Provide eVTOL Charging

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

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

U.S. Aviation Fuel Prices Rise across the Board

All fuel types showed increases versus March

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