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

Houston, Texas-based&nbsp;aircraft charter and management providers Wing Aviation and Western Airways have merged, with Wing taking on Western’s FAA Part 135 fleet of 10 aircraft, ranging from a Bombardier CRJ-200 to a Beechcraft King Air 200, as well as its charter certificate. The move makes the combined company the largest private aircraft operator in the state, Wing said. The combined entity&nbsp;will be based at the <a href="https://www.ainonline.com/aviation-news/business-aviation/2020-06-02/houston-hobby-airport-gets-new-fbo">new Galaxy FBO</a> at Houston Hobby.

 


Western will maintain its FAA Part 145 repair station at Sugar Land Regional Airport (SGR), as company CEO Keith Mosing joins Wing’s advisory board. “With Western Airways and Wing working together, we will be able to help leverage each other’s strengths,” said Mosing, adding that his company will focus on its repair capabilities, including support for the Wing-managed aircraft. “We look forward to working with Wing for the mutual benefit of our companies and customers.”

 


Along with expanding Wing’s fleet, the agreement will expand its footprint in the region with a new office at SGR.&nbsp;“Aircraft owners will benefit from our investment in our management services that has amplified our technology, training, and compliance,” explained Wing CEO Brian Chapman. He added that&nbsp;his company’s demand for charter over the past several years has outstripped its aircraft supply. “This merger will quickly expand our fleet and meet the demand of our existing and growing retail clientele.”

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

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Upon completion next year, it will join the fractional operator’s growing network

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