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

Ahead of NBAA’s annual showcase convention and exposition in Las Vegas, aircraft charter, management, and maintenance provider Thrive Aviation released photos showing off the first two aircraft in the livery of its newly launched fractional fleet.
Last month, Thrive announced a strategic partnership and minority investment from Arulean Air—a purpose-created subsidiary of Honda Aircraft Company—establishing the foundation for a fractional ownership platform. Thrive will operate and manage the program, from client relationship management to flight operations, while Arulean will acquire aircraft for the fractional fleet.
Initially featuring two aircraft types, the program aims to meet two separate mission profiles. The HondaJet brings efficiency and performance to regional travel, while the Bombardier Challenger 3500 offers a larger cabin and longer range with more passenger capacity. Both aircraft will be available for tours in the static display at NBAA-BACE.
Las Vegas-based Thrive anticipates adding four to six HondaJets and up to four Challenger 3500s a year as its fractional owner base continues to grow.
“Seeing these aircraft in Thrive’s livery is an exciting milestone for our team and something we’ve been working toward for a long time,” said company co-founder and CEO Curtis Edenfield.&nbsp;“We have spent the last eight years building the operating platform, infrastructure, and client relationships that make this next chapter possible.”

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

Thrive Unveils First Fractional Fleet Aircraft

The company will enter fractional service with the Hondajet and Challenger 3500

Las Vegas-based private lift provider Thrive Aviation will debut the first aircraft in its fractional program at NBAA-BACE in its hometown.

Thrive Unveils First Fractional Fleet Aircraft 

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 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.

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