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

Menzies Aviation, which provides ground handling for airlines at more than 250 airports around the world, has unveiled Pearl Executive Aviation, its new private aviation handling and FBO division.
Forming the core of the FBO chain is Menzies’ purchase of Flystar Flight Support, a leading provider of business aviation services in the Balkans. Menzies also operates several FBOs in Africa and has a network of private aviation lounges at airports it services, all of which will be rebranded under the Pearl banner.
“We are offering fast-track and business-to-consumer services at airports generally, plus now Pearl Executive Aviation, which is targeting to serve our private aviation customers and selling fuel and providing services at airports in general for private jets that are arriving there,” said Philipp Joeinig, the group CEO of Menzies Aviation and chairman of Pearl.
“We are starting with 40 locations, and we are planning to increase that number by 50% over the course of the next 18 months.”
He told AIN&nbsp;this week at EBACE 2024 that the company has a list of 22 of its airports where it plans to open FBOs during that span. “We have some selected airports in Africa, we have some in Europe, and some in the UK where we are very strong already, and we have the option to have good facilities for our general aviation customers, pilots, and crew.”
Menzies has a presence in five Asian countries as well, and it will then turn its attention to that region. “Asia is the one that comes next after Europe and Africa, but it’s definitely on the radar,” said Joeinig. “At the end of the day, it is important that you can host both crew and passengers at an airport in your own lounge, in your own facility, and you can provide flight support like flight planning, fuel services, and ground handling. We are targeting to provide [these services] to our customers through Pearl Executive.”

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Menzies Aviation Launches Pearl Executive Aviation FBO Brand

New FBO chain will debut with 40 locations

Menzies Aviation—provider of commercial ground handling at more than 250 airports—unveiled Pearl Executive Aviation, its private aviation handling/FBO division.

Menzies Aviation Launches Pearl FBO Brand

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