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 the nation and, indeed, the world stunned at the results of the most bizarre and rancorous U.S. Presidential election in history, there are widespread concerns over the stability and long-term confidence of the economy in the largest market for business aviation.

 


Earlier this year, all the major economic indexes reached all-time highs; the Dow Jones Industrial Average flirted with 18,700, the S&amp;P 500 nudged 2,200 and the Nasdaq reached a peak of 5,340. The U.S. unemployment rate fell to 4.7 percent in October, the lowest rate since August 2007, and the U.S. gross domestic product (GDP), typically a bellwether for business aircraft usage, grew by 2.9 percent in the third quarter, its highest rate in more than two years. However, those numbers do not mean what they used to. Cycles for the U.S. business aircraft fleet this year are expected to approximate the levels last seen in 2003, according to statistics provided by industry analyst JetNet. At that time, there were 9,500 business jets in service in the U.S.; today there are 12,500.

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

Aircraft Finance 2016

New names, new practices emerge as  the industry adapts to the current market.

2024 Corporate Aviation Leadership Summit

Gordon Gilbert

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.

Takes effect April 1, 2026, and applies to non-commercial aircraft

Wash. State Legislators Approve 10% Aircraft Luxury Tax

Matt Thurber

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.

Majority of aviation funding would bolster air traffic control system

NBAA Appauds Passage of Bizav-friendly Budget Bill

Sarah Rose

Revenue from every sale is dedicated to support medical flights

Arcadia Jets Supports Angel Flight West Charity Flights

Charles Alcock

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

More In Finance, Taxes, Insurance

Wash. State Legislators Approve 10% Aircraft Luxury Tax

Takes effect April 1, 2026, and applies to non-commercial aircraft

NBAA Appauds Passage of Bizav-friendly Budget Bill

Majority of aviation funding would bolster air traffic control system

Arcadia Jets Supports Angel Flight West Charity Flights

Revenue from every sale is dedicated to support medical flights

French Bizav Group Presses for Reversal of Charter Tax

Solidarity tax has added thousands of euros to the cost of some trips

Preowned Jet Market Shifts as G650 Supply Increases

End of G650 era impacts pricing trends, according to Jefferies

IADA Appoints First Staffer in Europe

The move gives the group its firsrt foothold outside North America

Jetcraft Adds Crypto Payments for Aircraft Buyers

Modern payment option enables transactions with digital assets

Asia-Pacific Turbine Helicopter Fleet Grows in 2024

Asian Sky documents modest gains amid steady demand

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