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

Global business jet departures and flight hours last week were on par with that from a year ago, according to the latest weekly report from JetNet subsidiary WingX. Meanwhile, Part 135 and Part 91K activity climbed by 4%.&nbsp;Year-to-date global jet and turboprop activity is down 2% versus the same period in 2023 but remains 37% above pre-Covid levels.
For the Fourth of July weekend, 19,166 business jet departures were recorded in the U.S., 8% more than the holiday period last year. There were more than 4,600 fractional flights in that span, up by nearly 800 from a year ago. Florida was a hotspot with 4,176 business jet departures, followed by Texas and California.
Across the Atlantic, overall European business jet activity for the week dropped by 3% versus a year ago with the exception of Germany, which was up 6% as the UEFA Euro Tournament reaches a climax. The UK, which hosted major events such as Wimbledon and the UK F1 Grand Prix, also saw a 3% increase year over year.
“Week 27 almost exactly matched Week 27 in 2023, with variable geographic trends, the U.S. seeing a bump up, in contrast to declines in June, and was especially strong in Part 135 and 91K operations,” said WingX managing director Richard Koe, adding that Europe' slide was mainly in private and corporate activity.

News and developments about airplanes, helicopters and unmanned air vehicles used in all varieties of operations, including airlines, military, business, commercial, general aviation and private.

WingX: Global Business Jet Use Last Week Was on Par with 2023

The U.S. saw a holiday boost while sporting events in Europe attracted traffic

Global business jet use was on par with last year, with a holiday boost in the U.S. last week, according to WingX.

WingX: Last Week's Global Bizjet Use on Par with 2023 

2024 Corporate Aviation Leadership Summit

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News and issues about aviation maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO), covering all segments of the aviation industry; and modifications for aircraft and engines. Subjects include product support of aircraft, engines and avionics, MRO company mergers, acquisitions, announcements and personnel, Airworthiness Directives, Supplemental Type Certificate approvals and other topics.

News and information on safety procedures and concerns.

News and issues relating to the aerospace industry that are related to the science, engineering and business of flight in space involving civil, industrial and military applications, and similar topics related to flight in the atmosphere of the Earth that are not covered more directly by other AINonline subject channels. In other words, both astronautical and aeronautical subjects, except for those aeronautical topics that are specifically covered elsewhere on this website.

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Two captains held the prototype 33 feet above the water for 30 seconds

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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.

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