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.

Senior Editor

Curt Epstein

Earlier this week, the new general aviation U.S. Customs and Border Protection facility at Gary/Chicago International Airport (GYY) received its first international flight. The facility officially opened last week, after a ribbon-cutting ceremony over the summer attended by scores of local dignitaries and elected officials that included Sen. Joe Donnelly (D-Indiana).

 


The inaugural flight, which received a water cannon salute on arrival, was a Bombardier Global 6000 that flew nonstop from Copenhagen, Denmark. Airport authorities and CBP officials were on hand to greet the ultra-long-range business jet and clear it through customs, a process that took less than half an hour from the time of landing.

 


“The grand opening of the new general aviation customs facility opens the door to a whole new international market and services for the airport and its users,” said GYY Authority chairman Tim Fesko. “We are excited about the continued growth of the airport and the opportunities Customs at the airport will bring.”

 


Those sentiments were echoed by the two FBOs on the field, who believe the new facility will help make the airport, and by extension their businesses, more attractive to business aviation operators. "The onsite CBP facility will allow our FBO customers to arrive directly from international locations, and continues to prove that the Gary Chicago International Airport is becoming the business aviation airport of choice in the Chicago area," noted John Girzadas, president of B. Coleman Aviation.

 


Both service providers have greatly expanded their FBOs over the past few years, pumping more than $22 million into their campuses to meet anticipated demand. "The new customs facility further improves our ability to compete with other major airports, while also enhancing our marketability to the corporate and general aviation community," added Gary Jet Center president Lynn Eplawy.

 


Since GYY lengthened its main runway to 8,859 feet in 2014, giving it the second longest runway in the region after O'Hare International, it has seen an increase in use by larger private aircraft, flying to destinations farther away, as well as an 82 percent increase in fuel flowage revenue, a more than 140 percent increase in landing fee revenue and a more than 15 percent overall increase in operations.

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

New CBP Facility at Chicago Airport Welcomes First Flight

Indiana's Gary/Chicago International Airport can now handle direct international private aircraft flights through its dedicated customs facility.

2024 Corporate Aviation Leadership Summit

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

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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.

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FAA made several updates to its AIP grant assurances, including on DEI as well as avgas

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U.S.-based aviation services group is already present at 220 airports

Oxford Airport Outsources Handling, Security to Unifi

$30 million facility will allow KBLV to receive more international flights

St. Louis-area Airport Building a Major CBP Facility

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

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