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

Titan Aviation Fuels, which has served as the official branded distributor of Shell Aviation fuels for general aviation (GA) in the U.S. for the past 18 years, announced last week that it will officially rebrand its 550-member Shell FBO network under its own independent, full-service Titan Fuel brand. The announcement means the sunset of the Shell Aviation fuel brand in the U.S. after more than a century.

 


“The main [strategic] change for us&nbsp;is to move from a branded model to an unbranded one," Shell Aviation president Anna Mascolo told AIN, adding the company will remain focused on its growth throughout the U.S. “We will continue to reliably service the aviation industry with quality aviation gasoline and jet fuel and look forward to expanding our customer base within the U.S. aviation market.” Shell noted the change will not affect its aviation brand outside the U.S, and that it would continue to supply not only Titan but other GA distributors in the U.S.

 


Titan—formerly Eastern Aviation Fuels—has been in operation as a fuel distributor since 1975. According to the company, the transition for its customers will be seamless, involving little more than the replacement of the iconic red and yellow scallop shell logo with a new capital T sporting a red wing.

 


“All the programs, the cards, the contract fuel, they were all branded Shell, but they were administered by us,” said Titan president Robbie Stallings, adding customer account numbers will remain the same. “We’ve been the ones building the relationships and managing the network, but we’ve always been doing it using someone else’s brand. Now it will be with our brand, so we’re really excited.” He noted that the network-wide rebranding process is expected to be completed over the next six months.

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

Titan Aviation Fuels Breaks Out of Its Shell

Titan Aviation Fuels will officially rebrand its 550-member Shell FBO network to its own independent, full-service Titan Fuel brand. 

2024 Corporate Aviation Leadership Summit

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

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.

Airport last owned the facility in the early 2000s

Illinois Airport Reacquires Sole Service Provider

The complex is viewed as the cornerstone of an aviation conglomerate

Major Las Vegas Hangar Complex Changes Hands

Projects totaled more than $5 million in infrastructure development

Oklahoma Airport Gets More Hangars, Upgraded Ramp

The facility will lean heavily towards sustainability

Clay Lacy Aviation Starts Construction on New KSNA FBO

News and issues regarding all manner of civil and military rotorcraft and their powerplants, including helicopters, tilt rotors and unmanned air vehicles.

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Illinois Airport Reacquires Sole Service Provider

Airport last owned the facility in the early 2000s

Major Las Vegas Hangar Complex Changes Hands

The complex is viewed as the cornerstone of an aviation conglomerate

Oklahoma Airport Gets More Hangars, Upgraded Ramp

Projects totaled more than $5 million in infrastructure development

Clay Lacy Aviation Starts Construction on New KSNA FBO

The facility will lean heavily towards sustainability

NATA Panel Examines FBO Preparation for eVTOL Service

OEMs and FBOs talk about how electric aircraft can be accommodated at FBOs

NATA Conference Panel Examines FBO Consolidation

While the big chains take a more selective approach, others remain hungry

Atlantic Aviation Gets Lease Renewal Approval in Aspen

The decision is the latest in a nearly two-year saga at the airport

Clay Lacy Aviation Gets Nod for Sun Valley FBO

Construction is expected to begin next year

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