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

Online aircraft charter facilitator VOO has signed an agreement with European charter operator GlobeAir to provide exclusive instant booking capability for the GlobeAir fleet. Austria-based VOO is a business-to-business (B2B) company that serves as a link between aircraft charter brokers and charter providers.
“Exclusive means Globe Air is the first operator worldwide that allows instant booking on a B2B marketplace,” VOO CEO Robert Plhak told AIN this week at EBACE 2024.&nbsp;Through VOO’s platform, brokers now have instant access to GlobeAir’s aircraft availability and pricing, allowing them the ability to quickly generate accurate offers for their clients.
VOO serves 200 brokers on its platform, with access to more than 400 aircraft from 130 operators. The transaction process normally involves a series of back-and-forth communications between the two sides, including requesting quotes, negotiating prices, and step-by-step contract signing.
With new functionality, that has now changed. “The broker is able to click the direct book button and the contract is made," said Plhak. “GlobeAir doesn’t need to reconfirm anything.”
GlobeAir, which has more than 20 aircraft in its fleet, worked with VOO to fine-tune its aircraft listings and system pricing accuracy to become the launch customer for the instant booking offering. VOO expects this new booking paradigm to spur other charter providers to seek this capability.
“The cooperation between VOO and GlobeAir marks a significant milestone in the evolution of business jet charters,” said Plhak, who described the new functionality as a game-changer. “Our shared vision for a seamless and transparent booking experience has become a reality, setting a new standard for the business aviation industry.”

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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2024 Corporate Aviation Leadership Summit

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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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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.

EBACE Convention News 2024

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