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 more than a third of Americans expected to travel this holiday season, including more than 7 million by air, private aviation providers are expecting a year-end boost. Flexjet noted that the surge started several weeks ago.

 


“Over the Thanksgiving weekend, Flexjet typically sees more travel than at any other time of the year, and this year was no different,” said COO Megan Wolf, adding this past weekend’s bookings exceeded those totals.

 


She attributed the rise in private jet travel to the overlapping of Hanukkah with Christmas, heading into the New Year’s celebration. “With the holidays coinciding this year, more people will be traveling at the same time, crowding the skies and making private jet travel more appealing than ever,” Wolf explained.

 


Also appealing for private aviation is the ability to directly access 5,000 airports in North America, rather than the 500 served by commercial aviation, allowing users to land closer to their destinations and reduce travel time on crowded roadways.

 


Based on its past three years of travel patterns along with early bookings, Flexjet divided up its most popular destinations into&nbsp;four categories: Sun (Palm Beach, Miami, and Naples, Florida); Ski (Aspen and Vail, Colorado, along with Bozeman, Montana); Islands (Nassau, Bahamas, Punta Cana, Dominican Republic, and Montego Bay, Jamaica); and International (London;&nbsp;Bordeaux, France; and Venice, Italy).

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

Flexjet Braces for the Holiday Surge

Flexjet is predicting a very busy holiday season, with air travel up nearly 5 percent over last year.

2024 Corporate Aviation Leadership Summit

Amy Wilder

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.

New access model targets 50-hour annual flyers

HansJet Launches PC-12 Membership Program in Europe

Charles Alcock

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

Abu Dhabi-based group is preparing to add Airbus Corporate Jets to its fleet

RoyalJet Expands with Fleet Refresh and Market Growth

Kerry Lynch

European charter leaders discussed range of issues at the EBACE show

Charter Remains Static in Europe Despite Global Changes

Sarah Rose

Private jet revenue was up 19%

Air Charter Service Sees Q1 Revenue Rise 8%

Facility supports national coordination efforts for EMS operations

Air Methods Opens New National Dispatch Center in Omaha

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.

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European charter leaders discussed range of issues at the EBACE show

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