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 satellite communications provider Inmarsat has signed agreements with five major air navigation service providers (ANSP) in support of the Iris program, which aims to modernize air traffic management across Europe. The groups—Germany’s DFS, ENAIRE (Spain), ENAV (Italy), NATS (UK), and Eurocontrol MUAC (consisting of Northwest Germany, Belgium, Luxembourg, and the Netherlands), which together handle the majority of European air traffic—will join an initial operational capability pilot, marking a milestone in the implementation of Iris.

 


This program is a partnership with the European Space Agency (ESA), led by Inmarsat, to establish secure, high-bandwidth communications over Europe, with the aim of deploying more digital controller-pilot communications to improve the speed and accuracy of air traffic management (ATM) in the region’s congested airspace. According to Inmarsat, once the program is implemented, ANSPs will be able to use the certified, sustainable datalink to increase ATM efficiency, relieve ATC workload, and enhance flight safety.

 


It will also enable 4D trajectories, which will pinpoint an aircraft according to latitude, longitude, altitude, and time, satisfying one of the major criteria of the Single European Sky ATM Research (SESAR) program. Because of this precise flight tracking, controllers will be able to calculate shortest available routes and allow crews to cruise at optimum altitudes and use continuous climb and descent paths to reduce delays and save fuel.

 


“The satellite-based Iris system is a key element for a successful implementation in Europe of the Air Traffic Management Data Link Services, with the outlook to become a global worldwide solution,” said Magali Vaissiere, ESA’s director of telecommunications and integrated applications.

News, issues, personnel, equipment and developments about air traffic management.

Five European ANSPs Join Iris Pilot Program

The Iris program is a partnership with the European Space Agency (ESA), led by Inmarsat, to establish secure, high-bandwidth communications over Europe.

2024 Corporate Aviation Leadership Summit

Kerry Lynch

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

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.

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.

KDCA and KEWR receive SMR-4 installations, while IDIQ AT&T covers coms

FAA Installs Surface Radars at Key Airports and Awards $74.3M to AT&T

Hanneke Weitering

Issues regarding financing of aircraft; aviation insurance; tax issues for aircraft operators; new companies and people in the aviation financing and insurance industries.

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.

Milestone covers the software that talks to air traffic control

Merlin Clears a Certification Hurdle for AI in the Cockpit

Charlotte Bailey

News and issues relating to civil and military unmanned aircraft systems (UAS), unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) and remotely piloted aircraft systems (RPAS) of all kinds and sizes, including those used for intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR), combat (unmanned combat air vehicles, or UCAVs), law enforcement, research and other applications. Of particular focus is the FAA's planned integration of UAS into the U.S. national airspace system.

Honeywell-led consortium to consider advanced air mobility integration

Verti-Go Initiative to Lead European Airspace Update

NASA controllers used existing tools to manage simulated autonomous traffic

Wisk Tests 1:3 Supervisor Ratio for Autonomous Flight

Amy Wilder

News and issues concerning general aviation, specifically airplanes and helicopters powered by piston and alternative engines (i.e., non-turbine powered aircraft). Subjects include aircraft, engines, personnel, acquisitions, accidents, safety, security and training.

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FAA Installs Surface Radars at Key Airports and Awards $74.3M to AT&T

KDCA and KEWR receive SMR-4 installations, while IDIQ AT&T covers coms

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Milestone covers the software that talks to air traffic control

Verti-Go Initiative to Lead European Airspace Update

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Modern Skies Coalition Urges $20B More for ATC Upgrades

Funds would build on $12.5 billion approved last year

FAA Taps L3Harris To Modernize Surveillance Network

Contract covers more than 700 ground stations nationwide

FAA’s Wilbur To Improve Flight Delay Data Efficiencies

FAA completed an audit to strengthen NAS operations related to flight delays and cancellations

FAA Commissions First of New Indra Radars

The initial radar is installed in Putnam, Oklahoma

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