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

FBO fuel sales in 2024 were stable but stagnant, according to results from the Aviation Business Strategies Group’s (ABSG) annual survey, released on the eve of NBAA’s Schedulers &amp; Dispatchers Conference in New Orleans. ABSG has been conducting its survey since 2014 to take the pulse of the FBO market.
While 7% of respondents to ABSG’s survey this year indicated that they saw fuel sales increase by more than 8% versus 2023, 22% reported that their fuel sales remained static year-over-year, the highest response in this category in the survey's history.
Overall, 58% of respondents either saw a reduction or no change in their fuel sales—the same total of these categories that ABSG principals John Enticknap and Ron Jackson noted in the previous results comparing 2023 with 2022.
“After a robust recovery in fuel sales in 2021 following the pandemic, we’ve seen a gradual deterioration in fuel sales across most geographic markets,” said Enticknap. “The results of our recent survey would indicate that the industry has entered into a period of stagnation where the highs and lows seem to be evening out.”
When asked what they viewed as the contributing factors to the malaise, survey respondents listed several factors such as larger, more fuel-efficient aircraft capable of tankering fuel; rising cost of aircraft ownership, which forces fringe customers out of the market; and the increasing cost of adding more hangar space to expand base customer revenue. “In addition, several survey respondents indicated there has been a marked slowdown in Part 91 aircraft traffic, which has largely been the bread and butter of their business,” explained Jackson.
Data from Argus International backs up this last hypothesis: business flying declined for the second year in a row. In 2024, Part 135 activity was down 3.5%, while Part 91 decreased by 4.8%.
The survey also attempts to gauge the respondents’ confidence in the economy, asking if they believe it is headed in the right direction. This year, a majority (43%) indicated that they were undecided about the direction, while 20% responded in the negative.
On the topic of adding hangar space, 52% said they would not be building hangars, while 27% plan to add large box or community hangars; 8% said they would increase their number of T-hangars; and the remaining 13% indicated they intend to add both.
Lastly, the ABSG asked the survey takers to list their top five industry concerns. Among those listed are regulatory concerns and compliance issues; staffing training and turnover; the increasing cost of airport improvements; burgeoning operation costs such as salary and insurance; and the reluctance of tenants to pay higher rents to support the return on investment for improvements.

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

FBO Market Survey Shows Stagnant Fuel Sales in 2024

Declining Part 91 and Part 135 flight activity is one of the root causes

Aviation Business Strategies Group’s annual FBO fuel sale survey shows signs of industry stagnation.

FBO Market Survey Sees Fuel Sales Stagnating in 2024

2024 Corporate Aviation Leadership Summit

Amy Wilder

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.

Each addition features location-specific tailored services

W Aviation, Gulf Aviation, Wilde Air Join AEG Connect

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.

Launched in October, Vantage Aviation now numbers four facilities

Growing FBO Chain Adds Three Locations in Two Weeks

The building replaces the old terminal, which was damaged by hurricanes in 2017

St. Thomas Execujet FBO Opens New Terminal in USVI

$50 million Phase 2 will add more of everything at KAUS

Million Air Breaks Ground on Major Austin FBO Expansion

The company made its debut last October

Growing FBO Chain Adds Two South Carolina Locations

The project gives the FBO more than five acres of ramp at Prescott

Cutter Aviation Expands KPRC Footprint

Charles Alcock

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

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.

More In FBOs

W Aviation, Gulf Aviation, Wilde Air Join AEG Connect

Each addition features location-specific tailored services

Growing FBO Chain Adds Three Locations in Two Weeks

Launched in October, Vantage Aviation now numbers four facilities

St. Thomas Execujet FBO Opens New Terminal in USVI

The building replaces the old terminal, which was damaged by hurricanes in 2017

Million Air Breaks Ground on Major Austin FBO Expansion

$50 million Phase 2 will add more of everything at KAUS

Growing FBO Chain Adds Two South Carolina Locations

The company made its debut last October

Cutter Aviation Expands KPRC Footprint

The project gives the FBO more than five acres of ramp at Prescott

Gama Promotes New Sharjah FBO for Long-haul Tech Stops

Expanded facility will open in the emirate later this year

Modern Aviation Wins Out at Charlotte Int’l Airport

Lone FBO at airfield was long operated by Wilson Air

AIN Products

SUBSCRIPTIONS

RESOURCES

ABOUT AIN